Letting Go
by Craftygirl
Summary: AT With the Cell Games approaching, ChiChi discovers her newfound feelings for someone special in her life. But when tragedy strikes, she must overcome her worries and trust in the one she loves. Warning: DISCONTINUED
1. The Meeting

**Author's note: **This is my first fanfic ever, and I had to dedicate it to my favorite DBZ couple, Goku and Chi-Chi! The story is set around the Cell Games, and is a G/CC falling-in-love story. Of course, that means that Gohan doesn't make any appearances in the story, although I know he was a major part in the saga. But please don't let it get to you! On a further note, Goku and Chi-Chi may be a little OOC, esp. Goku—but not _too_ much. Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Dragonball Z. Some of the scenes throughout this fic, though, are adapted from the original show. Also, a few of the earlier chapters contain ideas from another G/CC fanfic: "A Simple Wish" by Gogirl, but more notice on that later.

**Warnings: **This fic contains sad moments, depression, and romance—but nothing intense. Extra-sensitive readers may want to have some tissues at hand.

* * *

Chapter One

With her arms laden with shopping bags, Chi-Chi glanced back and forth, looking out onto the busy streets of West City with caution. Just one step forward could cause a car to come careening down at her at high speeds. She didn't want to take the risk. Yet despite her efforts, she couldn't manage to make her feet move.

"Looks like you're not from around here," an unfamiliar voice said from behind her.

Chi-Chi spun around in shock, wondering whom the voice belonged to. To her surprise, it was a comely young man about her age with spiky black hair that partially covered his forehead. He had on a martial arts _gi_ composed of a custom orange outfit with a indigo shirt underneath. What she couldn't help noticing was his face—it was so friendly and welcoming. However, Chi-Chi couldn't help but feel hostile. After all, this was a stranger she was dealing with.

"What do you want?" she snapped, and then took notice of her shopping bags. She glared at the stranger. "Hey, Mister, if it's the clothes you want, you're not going to get them!"

The man held up his hands in surrender, appearing bemused. "Whoa! Wait a sec, ma'am! I didn't mean _that_! I mean, what would I want with clothes? I have my own!"

At this moment, he seemed completely innocent to her, but Chi-Chi refused to let her guard down; what if it was all a hoax? Bracing herself for an attack, she demanded, "Then what is it you want?"

The man scratched the back of his head. "Well, I just wanted to know if you wanted some help crossing the street. You seemed to have trouble, but you know, it's really not that hard—"

Chi-Chi glared at him. "Do you honestly think I need help crossing the street?" I barked fiercely. "Who do you think I am?"

By now, everyone nearby stared at them. Who could blame them? It's not every day you see two strangers argue about something as dumb as crossing the street. Chi-Chi tried her best to ignore their presence.

"Um, I don't know," the stranger replied, "I don't think we've met before…"

She swung her arms out in anger. "Hmm, I wonder why!" she retorted sarcastically. Chi-Chi then crossed her arms and noticed that the weight they held was seemingly lighter…

She glanced from side to side, and then in the man's direction. "What did you do to my bag?" she exclaimed accusingly, but then realized he wasn't there. "Huh?"

Chi-Chi scowled. _How could he just go off with my bag without my noticing?_ That's when she noticed the deafening sound of car horns behind her. And—scanning down the line of cars—she noticed her shopping bag across someone's front window. In a desperate attempt to get the bag off, the car had its windshield wipers on and was driving around like crazy.

"Oh my goodness! Look over there!"

"Someone's going to get killed! _Do_ something!"

A huge lump caught in Chi-Chi's throat. _Oh, no! It's all my fault!_ _Thanks to my recklessness, my bag fell from my grasp and will now cause even more chaos among the streets!_

Suddenly, that same stranger swooped down from out of nowhere, snatched the bag from the front of the car, and came _flying_ in Chi-Chi's direction.

A scream escaped from her lungs as she charged from the sidewalk as fast as she could. _So, the stranger's actually some weird superhuman guy, and now he's coming after me! After witnessing what'd he'd somehow just pulled off, there's no way I want to be anywhere within one mile from him! _

Without paying any attention, Chi-Chi had accidentally run out onto the streets, and the next thing she knew, another car was blasting its horn at her and speeding towards her at blazing speeds. She let out another terrified scream.

Suddenly, a strong pair of arms grabbed her by the arms just as the car screeched to a stop below her. Her muscles felt stiff after the near-fatal incident.

The car's driver—a man in his forties—flung his door open and turned to face Chi-Chi. "Just _what_ were you trying to do?" he demanded hotly, "Were you trying to get—" His furious face instantly altered into utter shock, "F-floating! T-that man's _f-floating!_"

A murmur lifted from the crowd of civilians, and that's when Chi-Chi had finally realized who had rescued her. Turning her head, she saw the face of the stranger, and burst into a fit of screams.

Chi-Chi tried struggling out of his grasp, but his arms held too good a grip on her. "L-let me…go…you freak!" she demanded.

The ground grew farther and farther away as the stranger flew higher into the sky. She couldn't believe her eyes—he was really flying! It was no joke!

"Freak?" the man repeated incredulously. "Is that the kind of thank you I get for saving your life?"

Chi-Chi couldn't believe her ears. "_Saving_ my life? Are you kidding? You've got it all wrong! Thanks to you, I almost died!"

"Hey, that's not my fault!" he protested, "I never asked you to run into the street! Why did you run off like that in the first place? Was someone chasing you?"

Chi-Chi sighed. _Could this guy be any denser?_ "Look, Mister, it was you who came speeding towards me!" she clarified impatiently. "_You_ were the one who scared me out of my wits!"

The stranger looked puzzled. "Me? But—what did I do?"

"Never mind!" Chi-Chi huffed. "Just tell me this: where are you taking me?"

That's when she noticed the man was descending. In no time, they were in a forest clearing with a small hut nearby. Setting her down gently, he replied, "Oh, I just needed to get us away from the city. You know how people are when they see others fly and stuff. I don't know why, but they think it's weird."

_Huh, I wonder if that statement was directed towards me_, she thought.

He then held out his arm, which carried a shopping bag. Chi-Chi just stared at it stupidly, wondering what he was doing.

"Well, aren't you going to take it?" the man asked after a moment.

It was then that she realized he was trying to give her bag back. "Oh, right, thanks," she stuttered quickly, taking the bag from him.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Chi-Chi decided to cut the ice. "Um, thanks, I guess, for you know, um…" For some reason, she couldn't get herself to say it.

He shrugged, seeming to have read her mind. "No problem. It was nothing."

Chi-Chi looked around uncomfortably. "So, is this where you live?" She took in the area, which were basically just trees as far as the eye could see. Not a speck of civilization was visible. Only a dirt path led to a tiny hut.

The stranger inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh air. "Yep," he replied, "It sure is a nice place, huh?"

Chi-Chi couldn't keep her eyes off the little hut. _How could anyone live there? It must have only one room!_ "Do you live here all by yourself?" she wanted to know.

The man nodded. "Ever since my Grandpa Gohan died, it's just me in this big forest," he said, "But like I like it, really I do." He glanced around the clearing fondly. "Because I have this huge secluded area all to myself, and it's really quiet too."

Chi-Chi hiked the shopping bags onto her shoulders. "I guess I better get going then," she decided.

"No, that's not what I meant!" he protested, suddenly realizing what he'd just said. "You can stay if you want!"

Chi-Chi shook her head, "Nah. I have to get home. My dad would worry if I were out too long. After all, I am his only daughter…"

The man held out his hand. "Want a lift home?" he offered her, a welcoming smile across his cheerful face.

Chi-Chi stared at him uncertainly, and then turned on her heels. "No thanks, I can get to Fire Mountain myself," she fumed, "_And_ I can cross the street myself, too."

He stared at her retreating back in confusion. "Okay," he said bemusedly, "But Fire Mountain is really far from here. It'd take hours on foot."

"Then so be it!" Chi-Chi declared. _There's no way that I'm just going to let this strange man fly me home! What would my dad think? He'd freak if he saw me with some stranger…Then again, maybe he wouldn't mind so much if the stranger was a really kind and gentle guy…_

The man cupped his hands over his mouth and called out, "Hey, might you by any chance have a name?"

Chi-Chi paused for a moment, and then turned her head to face him. "It's Chi-Chi," she informed him.

The stranger smiled. "Well, Chi-Chi, I'm Goku," he hollered, "And I hope you have a safe journey home! Don't get run over by any cars!"

Chi-Chi glared at him. "You've some nerve to say that to me, Goku!" she exclaimed, "Humph!" Then, turning on her heels again, she hurried down the path toward Fire Mountain, trying to get as far from Goku as possible.

Goku scratched his head in bewilderment, dumbfounded. "What's the matter with her? Gee, I don't think I'll ever understand girls," he muttered to himself.

Four hours later, it was sunset, and Chi-Chi made the final climb up her mountain home. Panting, she placed her foot into a crevice in the rock mountain, and pulled herself onto the top. _All this for a day out shopping in the city? Maybe I should have just accepted Goku's offer…_

But what she saw at the top of the mountain made chills run up and down her spine. She dropped her bags in shock. The whole castle was now a huge pile of debris. Smoke billowed from the wreckage, fresh from attack. Something—or some_one_—had destroyed her home, and possibly…

Chi-Chi froze in fear. _Dad!_

Instantly, she ran toward the fallen fortress and looked behind every stone pillar, every broken wall, in search of her father. Finally, when she passed by what remained of a stone staircase, her blood went cold. Crushed beneath a fallen pillar was her father.

"No…" Chi-Chi shook her head in horror as she approached the Ox-King hesitantly. She knelt down beside him, but all traces of life were drained from his now-pale face.

"Dad?" she asked him softly, tears flooding her eyes.

No answer.

She shook his shoulders, trying in vain to bring the life back into him. "Please, Dad, you've got to wake up! I need you…" Her voice broke off. "You can't leave me…"

Chi-Chi turned her head away and shut her eyes tightly as the tears streamed down her face, not wanting to look upon her dead father. She just couldn't believe it; she'd been gone for less than a day and everything she held dear to her was gone: her home…her father…He'd always looked out for her. He'd always taken care of her. Well sure, she might have thought he'd been too worried and overprotective of her sometimes, but now that she thought about it, he did for good reason…

Chi-Chi glanced up toward the darkening sky. _How could this happen? Who did this?_

That's when she noticed a strange figure hovering in the air above. Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes, trying to find out who the person was. With its downward wings and pointed head, the figure was no doubt a locust-like creature.

Chi-Chi gritted her teeth in anger. "_Cell_," she said aloud bitterly.

_First, you destroy my home and then you kill my poor, innocent father. What did he ever do to you? He'd never hurt a fly! Cell, I swear, you _will_ pay for this, you dirty murderer!

* * *

_

By nightfall, Goku had a fire burning and was roasting a skinned wolf on top of it. The aroma of the cooking dead animal filled the piney forest air.

Goku inhaled the scent, "Ahh! It's almost ready!" he said to himself, smiling widely. "Just a few more minutes and dinner is served."

After fives minutes, Goku gobbled up the wolf in a flash. Raising an open palm out to the kindling flames, he shot out a small _ki_ blast of wind, which instantly extinguished the fire. As he trekked back into the house and went off to bed, he couldn't help but wonder about Chi-Chi.

_All I did was try to be nice to her, and she got all huffy. Was it something I did? Hmm... Let's see now…That's funny—all I can think of was saving her life, but that's a _good_ thing._ He sat up straight in his bed and glanced out the window in concern. _I hope she's all right.

* * *

_

Later that night, there was a harsh pound on the door. Startled, Goku bolted up from bed and glanced around. "Who's there?" he demanded, ready to fight whoever was challenging him. He then noticed that the sound was coming from the door.

Cautiously, he approached the door, turned the knob, and found…Chi-Chi!

Goku's tense expression softened at once. "Chi-Chi! What are you doing here? And in the middle of the night, too!" he asked in confusion. "I thought you were mad at me!"

Yet once he got a good look at her, he realized she'd been crying. Now concerned, he asked her, "Is something wrong?"

Chi-Chi shoved past him and entered the hut. "_Everything's_ wrong!" she sobbed, her head hanging in sorrow. "My home's destroyed and my dad's dead!" She choked on her words. "I don't have anywhere to live!"

Goku shut the door and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Chi-Chi," he said softly, "But if there's any way I could help, just let me know…"

After a brief moment, Chi-Chi turned around to face him, her eyes imploring. "Could I please stay with you? I have no where else to go."

Goku shrugged. "Sure," he replied simply. "But I'll have you know that—"

Suddenly, Chi-Chi flung her arms around him in a hug. "Oh, thank you!" she cried happily, feeling a rush of gratitude towards him.

To her surprise, Goku instantly pulled away. "Um, could you please not do that?" he asked uncertainly, "It's really uncomfortable."

Chi-Chi glanced at him with an arched eyebrow, slightly hurt. "You've never been hugged before?"

Goku shook his head, still a good distance from her. "Anyway, I don't have an extra bed, so I hope you don't mind sleeping on the floor."

Chi-Chi shrugged. _Who cares about sleeping on the floor when your other alternative is sleeping on castle debris?_

Goku's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, I know! I'll let _you_ sleep on the bed! I don't mind sleeping on the floor," he offered.

At first, Chi-Chi was taken aback by the generous offer, but she knew she couldn't let him do that. She shook her head, "No…but thanks. I couldn't impose…"

Goku waved his hand dismissively. "No really. It's okay. I don't mind," he insisted.

"I said no, and that's final!" Chi-Chi snapped, and then soon regretted her words, which she didn't intend to sound so cruel.

She glanced at Goku, who had backed even further away now in shock.

"I mean, you've all ready offered me shelter, and that's enough," Chi-Chi reasoned quickly in a calmer tone, trying to atone for her harsh words.

Goku took a few apprehensive steps back toward his bed. "Um, sure," he said anxiously. "If you want to sleep on the floor, be my guest!" And with that, he jumped into bed and pulled up the covers.

Chi-Chi scowled at him. _How rude!_ But then couldn't help but feel that she was to blame. _But I shouldn't have snapped at him—he was just trying to be nice to me._

She lied down on the wooden floor, slightly curled up on her side. _If only I still had a home to live in…then I wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. I'd have my soft, comfy bed instead. If only…if only Cell hadn't destroyed everything…that cold-blooded monster! He will pay for what he did!_

Suddenly, Chi-Chi couldn't help but hear the sound of calm, even breathing coming from Goku's bed. _Wow. He's sleeping all ready? It hasn't even been five minutes!_ She shook her head, but couldn't help smiling in amusement. _I wonder what tomorrow will bring…

* * *

_

The autumn night had been a cold one, and a strong breeze blew in from the open window. Once Goku had heard the rattling upon the door and the roar of the wind, he couldn't help but get up and gently shut the window.

_Stupid wind,_ he thought.

As he turned to face Chi-Chi on the floor, slightly curled and shivering, he couldn't help but feel bad for her. _Maybe I shouldn't have given up my argument so easily, but she didn't have to yell at me!_ _I was only trying to help!_ For some reason, this felt all too familiar to him. _Yeah, just like when she got mad at me for saving her life._ He laughed quietly at his own words, because now they seemed silly.

Glancing down at her again, Goku silently walked back to his bed. Taking the covers off, he knelt down and gently placed them over Chi-Chi.

Her shivering ceased instantly, and she turned over in her sleep.

Goku smiled. _At least now she won't be so cold._

He went back to his bed content. After all, he could manage to sleep well in any situation. The cold didn't bother him, and he was glad he could offer Chi-Chi something that would help her.

**A/N: **No, there is no real connection b/t Goku and Chi-Chi…yet; he's just being nice. I'm sorry if the beginning is a little slow, but I had to make them meet up in some way, and I just thought that this way was pretty funny.

Btw, the part about how Goku feels uncomfortable about hugs/physical contact with a female, and his description of his forest home was not wholly my idea. It was adapted from Gogirl's "A Simple Wish" fanfic.

Please R&R. I would greatly appreciate your reviews.

* * *


	2. Departure

**A/N: **Thanks to all those who submitted their reviews! Well, here's the next chapter! A lot of characters will soon come in, so brace yourselves!

Chapter Two 

The next morning, Chi-Chi stirred in her sleep, and then opened her eyes to broad daylight. Glancing toward her feet, she noticed that someone had given her a blanket. She smiled to herself, knowing that it was none other than Goku. Yet when she looked up at his bed, no one was there.

Chi-Chi sat up straight and threw the covers off. "Goku!" she called out in panic. "Goku, where are you?" She glanced around the small hut. _Where could he have gone? Surely, he wouldn't just leave me here like this._

Chi-Chi let out a groan of frustration before leaving the hut. To her surprise, Goku was right out in the clearing, floating as he punched and kicked the air at mind-boggling speeds. She could only stare at him in awe. _W-what the?—How does he _do_ that? It's unreal!_ Even being an accomplished martial artist herself, what she saw before her was something totally unbelievable.

Goku suddenly stopped his training regimen when he noticed Chi-Chi gaping at him. "What?" he asked in bewilderment.

Chi-Chi shook her head. "I just can't believe it! You're really good, aren't you?"

Goku smiled sheepishly. "Well, I'm sure there's someone out there who's better," he replied humbly.

Chi-Chi nodded dubiously. "Uh-huh," she replied sarcastically. "I'm sure there is…" She glanced around the clearing. "By the way, do you train like this every morning?"

Goku slowly descended to the ground, "Yeah. In fact, my friends and I have been training really hard lately so we can finally defeat Cell—"

Chi-Chi clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "… So, you know Cell, huh?" she asked him a low voice, trying to restrain herself from bursting out in anger. Just the name of the creature made her bitter.

"Well, of course; he's on TV and all, and I've ran into him a few times."

"But why didn't you try to beat him?" Chi-Chi asked, "You've gotta be stronger than he is!"

Goku glanced at her solemnly. "It's not that I've never tried. It's just that I'm not strong enough to beat him yet. Cell's one formidable opponent; it's gonna take all we have to put an end to his destruction."

Chi-Chi glanced at the ground spitefully. "…Cell… was the one who did this," she muttered softly.

"What?" Goku asked, confused as he approached her slowly.

Chi-Chi turned to face him. "Cell killed my father and destroyed my home!" she exclaimed fiercely. "And I won't rest until he's dead!"

Goku held up his hands in surprise. "Whoa! Wait a minute. I wouldn't do that if I were you," he advised, patting her shoulder consolingly, "Let my friends and me handle him." Goku looked off into the distance. "In fact, I plan on visiting them today; there's something I have to discuss with them. What'd you say? We can leave after we have a bite to eat."

Chi-Chi managed a small smile. "Is food all you think about?" she teased.

Goku laughed a little. "Actually, yes!" he replied.

"So, what's for breakfast?" she asked him curiously. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon before she'd left home. Her empty stomach was just longing for a good meal right now.

"Well, I caught a whole pack of wolves yesterday that'll last us for about a week," Goku answered enthusiastically. "I'll just make a fire and in a matter of minutes, we'll have tasty roasted wolf! What do you say?"

Frankly, Chi-Chi wanted to barf. "Roasted wolf?" she repeated incredulously. "Um, I think I just lost my appetite."

"Aw, come on! It's skinned!" Goku pleaded.

Chi-Chi shook her head. "No! I told you, I'm not hungry!"

"Just you wait! Once you see it all cooked, you won't be able to resist it! It's _that_ good! You've just gotta believe me!" Goku urged.

"I don't eat wolf, Goku!" Chi-Chi protested. "That's disgusting!"

"Well then, what are you going to eat?"

Chi-Chi shrugged. She'd never thought about that. "Nothing," she replied simply.

Goku snapped his fingers. "You wait right here!" he said eagerly, "I'll just go in and grab you something that I know you're gonna want more of!" With that, he ran back into the hut, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.

Chi-Chi crossed her arms as she sat on a fallen log. "Take your time," she said under her breath. _Whatever it is, it can't be any better than wolf._

In just a mere minute later, Goku returned. "Okay! You can turn around now! I've got a lot of options for you!" he announced cheerfully.

"This had better not be a joke," Chi-Chi said flatly. Slowly, she turned around and screamed. Goku's arms were laden with foxes, rabbits, and other small animals! Worse of all, they were all dead and hairy!

She collapsed on the ground.

"Chi-Chi!"

"Hey, Goku, what is this?" Chi-Chi asked him skeptically as she nibbled on some meat. "It tastes just like chicken."

Goku, who'd all ready devoured quite a number of helpings, glanced over in her direction. "Oh, that's wolf!"

Chi-Chi froze in horror, and then looked down at the slab of meat she held in her hands. "This is _wolf_? You've got to be kidding me!" She couldn't believe it. Goku had been right all along—wolf meat wasn't as bad as she thought!

"I told you so," Goku said, a little haughtiness in his voice.

Chi-Chi frowned, but then smiled a little. Even when Goku was trying to rub something in her face, he never meant for it to be offensive. She just took it that way sometimes.

Goku stood up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hands. "Okay, let me know when you're ready—"

"Goku!" Chi-Chi scolded. "Where are your manners? That's just gross!"

Goku glanced at her blankly. "What? My '_manners'_? What's that?"

Chi-Chi shook her head in disgust. "I hope you're plan on washing up before you see your friends," she stated.

Goku shrugged. "I guess I could if it bothers you that much," he replied simply, and then headed toward the nearby river.

Chi-Chi looked down at the wolf meat she held, and then took one last bite out of it. _I just hope Goku's friends don't lack hygiene like he does._

After they'd both cleaned up, Goku introduced her to a puffy yellow cloud. "This is my Nimbus cloud," he informed her fondly. "Sometimes, I prefer using it opposed to flying."

Chi-Chi glanced at the cloud skeptically. "What do you mean?" she inquired.

"Well, Nimbus can fly you anywhere you want," Goku clarified. "Master Roshi gave it to me when I was just a kid." He pulled himself up on the cloud, and Chi-Chi was surprised that he didn't just fall through it.

"Who's he?" Chi-Chi asked him.

"A friend of mine," Goku said, "We're going to meet up at his house in a little while. You'll get to meet him then." He held out his hand so she could get on the cloud, too.

Chi-Chi remained hesitant. "Is it… _safe_?" she asked apprehensively.

"Of course it is," Goku replied reassuringly, "I've ridden this thing plenty of times. Just trust me."

Nervously, Chi-Chi took his hand and pulled herself onto the cloud. She breathed a sigh a relief when she didn't fall through. As she sat down behind him, she glanced around expectantly. "Now what?"

"See? You got on just fine. Not many of my friends can ride this thing, but I knew you'd be able to," Goku remarked thoughtfully.

"Why's that?" Chi-Chi asked uncertainly.

"Because they're not pure of heart," Goku explained. "Now hold on tight."

Chi-Chi gripped the sides of the feathery yellow cloud before it took off high in the sky. She let out a small scream, and clung to Goku in fright. She felt him stiffen, and quickly realized her mistake.

Chi-Chi eased her grip off him. "Sorry, I forgot how much that bothers you."

Goku hesitated. "Well, everyone gets scared sometimes. I guess it's only natural… I suppose I won't mind so much if it'll make you feel better."

Chi-Chi glanced up at him hopefully, "Really?"

He nodded.

Slowly, she put her arms around him and leaned onto his back. This time, Goku didn't attempt to back away. Strangely, she felt a warm sense of security now that she was close to him. It felt odd, and yet…comforting…

Chi-Chi looked down at the ground far below her. "Where do these friends of yours live?"

"It'll only be a little while," Goku said, as if reading her thoughts, "They're all staying on a small island in the middle of the ocean."

"In the middle of the ocean?" Chi-Chi repeated uneasily.

Goku seemed to disregard her remark. "Just wait till you meet them!" he stated cheerfully. "I'm sure they'll all like you!"

_Yeah, I'm sure they will,_ Chi-Chi thought doubtfully.

Minutes passed by, and soon, a small pink house came into view far below.

Chi-Chi pointed at it. "Is that it?" she asked curiously.

Goku nodded, "Yep! That's it all right! You can't miss it!"

"How many people did you say live there?" Chi-Chi asked, trying to figure out how many people could live in such a tiny place.

"Oh, they don't all _live_ there," Goku explained, "We're just all meeting there. Only Master Roshi, and my friends Yamcha and Krillin live there… Okay, get ready. We're about to land…"

Chi-Chi bit her lip anxiously, bracing herself for the full speed of descent as she once again clung to Goku. "Okay, I'm ready," she declared apprehensively.

"Then here we…_go_!" On "go," the yellow cloud began to descend at blazing speeds.

Chi-Chi let out a scream, shutting her eyes tight and preparing for a harsh landing. In the next moment, she felt no wind rushing past her; no crazy heartbeat… Chi-Chi opened her eyes and glanced around. "We're on land again!" she breathed in utter relief.

Goku hopped off the cloud. "Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad!" he insisted, helping her off the cloud.

"Yes, it was!" Chi-Chi protested. "I never want to go on that thing again—"

Suddenly, the front doors burst open and a whole group of people came into view. Chi-Chi couldn't help but notice that one of them was green, and another one of them had three eyes.

"Hey, Goku!" greeted an old guy wearing sunglasses. "Glad you could join us!"

A short bald guy came running toward Goku, "Goku! I'm so glad you made it! We thought you wouldn't come!"

"Hi, Krillin," Goku said in his usual cheerful voice.

Krillin then took notice of Chi-Chi. "Hey, who's the girl?" he asked, his face perking up.

Goku glanced at Chi-Chi and smiled. "Oh, this is Chi-Chi," he said, "I met her yesterday in West City." He lowered his voice. "She lost everything yesterday when Cell destroyed her home and killed her father."

A young man with short, spiky black hair and fork-shaped scar on his left cheek spoke up. "All the more reason to get rid of Cell," he added.

"So, where do you live now?" a blue-haired woman spoke up. She carried a small infant in her arms.

"Goku generously offered me to stay with him," Chi-Chi explained, smiling to herself.

"Heh-heh," the old man laughed, "Typical Goku."

"Well, you're welcome here, too, Chi-Chi," Krillin stated, "Friends of Goku are friends of us."

"Thanks," Chi-Chi replied.

The green man interrupted, "Goku! We have no time to dawdle! Cell's just going to kill more innocent lives as we wait here socializing!"

A teenage boy with short lavender hair spoke up, "Yeah, Goku. I'm sure you've heard about Cell's latest attack, am I right?" he asked.

Goku's face turned serious. "Uh-huh. He's heading toward West City. We can't let him get there. He's all ready killed so many people."

_Like my dad,_ Chi-Chi thought bitterly.

"Goku, you have to stop him! Mom and Dad live there!" the blue-haired woman exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Bulma," Goku reassured her, "We'll work things out. After all, I have a plan."

"What is it, Goku?" Krillin wanted to know.

"I know a place where we can get a year's training done in a day," Goku clarified.

"What?" asked a man with long, spiky black hair that stuck up like a flame. "That's absurd! You must be joking!"

"You're talking about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, aren't you?" the elderly man asked.

Goku nodded. "We'll have to leave for the Lookout right away."

"What?" Bulma repeated in disbelief. "But what about West City? You can't just let them die!"

Goku hesitated. "None of us can stop Cell in our present state," he said grimly. "We'll just have to wish them back with the dragon balls. Our best bet is to train in the time chamber."

Bulma scowled, but remained silent.

Chi-Chi furrowed her brow, trying to take all the new information in. Why hadn't Goku told her any of this before? "Wait a minute, Goku! What's going on? What are the 'dragon balls'? Where are you going? And what 'Hyperbolic Time Chamber'?"

Goku glanced at her in surprise, as if he'd just noticed she was there. "You stay here with Yamcha, Tien, Master Roshi, Krillin, and Bulma," he stated, "Piccolo, Vegeta, Trunks, and I are going to go train somewhere else."

"What?" Chi-Chi asked. "Take me with you! I can help!"

"Chi-Chi, I can't," Goku explained gently, "I'm sorry, but this is something we have to handle ourselves. It's too dangerous."

"But I want Cell gone as much as any of you guys do!" Chi-Chi protested.

Goku shook his head apologetically. "We'll be right back in a few days. Just stay here."

Chi-Chi opened her mouth to protest, but by then, Goku and a few of the other guys flew off into the air without a word.

"No! Come back! _Goku_!" Chi-Chi called after them in vain.

"It's all right, Chi-Chi. They'll be back before you know it," a voice reassured her.

Chi-Chi turned around to see Yamcha smiling sympathetically.

"They'll be fine. Goku and the others are capable of handling themselves," the old man said.

"They're all strong warriors, Chi-Chi," Bulma stated, but Chi-Chi sensed some doubt in her voice. "My only concern is whether or not they'll be strong enough to defeat Cell when they return."

Chi-Chi forced a smile. As supportive as Goku's friends were, they did not understand. She knew Goku and the others would be all right; she only regretted not being able to help them—to only stand by and watch Cell claim more innocent lives. _Goku, why'd you have to leave me?_

**A/N: **Sorry about the sudden announcement of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but I only decided to put it in by the time they'd all ready reached the house. Anyway, everyone should all ready know about the room since Goku announced it in the Imperfect Cell saga, but I thought they'd be better off with this as their first time.

Other than that, I don't think Chi-Chi's really afraid of riding the Nimbus cloud, but I it would also fit my story better. Besides, her holding onto Goku in fear just seems cute, doesn't it?

**Disclaimer: **This wolf scene was also adapted from Gogirl's story. I know I have a lot of references to her right now, but don't worry—there'll be much less in the next chapters.

Please continue to R&R, and let me know what you thought of this chapter!


	3. Anxiety

**A/N: **This chapter was originally an extension of chapter two, but I thought it best to make it into a chapter of its own. Besides, the previous chapter was eleven pages long! Oh well, I hope you guys (and gals) are all glad I posted two chapter in a single day—consider it a display of my gratitude toward all my reviewers!

Chapter Three

Hours passed by, and as Chi-Chi stirred her tea slowly in the living room, she couldn't help but wonder about Goku. In fact, she was starting to have second thoughts. Was she really intent on bringing an end to Cell or was it really Goku she was worried about? The more she thought about it, the more her thoughts were pointing toward Goku. Funny thing was that she'd only known him for a day, and she was all ready worrying about him. _Please let him be all right_, she prayed silently.

Seeming to sense her thoughts, Bulma broke Chi-Chi's bubble of doubts. "Hey, don't worry about it," she said, "Goku'll be all right. He can handle himself just fine."

Chi-Chi glanced up at the woman, who she realized was just slightly older than her. "How do you know?" she asked.

"How do I know?" Bulma repeated, "Well, I worry about my son Trunks all the time. He's always going out with the other guys, and sometimes, I worry that he'll come back hurt. He is part Saiyan, you know—fighting's in his blood."

Chi-Chi stared blankly at the infant cradled in Bulma's arms, "Trunks? You mean, the little boy that—"

Bulma glanced down at the infant, and let out a good-natured laugh. "No, I mean that kid you saw outside earlier this afternoon. Remember the one with the purple hair?"

Chi-Chi thought for a moment, and then nodded.

"Yep," Bulma replied, lifting the child into the air and smiling at him fondly, "That's him, all grown up."

Chi-Chi glanced at Bulma bemusedly, "W-what? How's that possible?"

Bulma suddenly realized what she'd been saying. "Oh, that's right. I forgot to tell you; he's from the future. He came to the present on a time machine to warn us about the Androids and to give Goku medicine for his heart virus—"

"_Heart virus_?" Chi-Chi repeated, her voice tense. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah… at least, now he is," Bulma replied.

Chi-Chi let out a sigh of relief. "… But… how can Trunks… _what_?" she was lost in her own words.

Bulma laughed again. "I'm sorry. All this must be really difficult to take in! But don't worry; you'll get used to it."

Chi-Chi wasn't so sure about that. _Is there more to Goku that I don't know about?_

"Hey, Bulma—is it?" Chi-Chi began.

The woman nodded.

"You said something about Saiyans earlier… what exactly _is_ a Saiyan?" Chi-Chi wanted to know.

Bulma thought for a moment. "Hmm, how should I put this?" she wondered aloud. "Well, let's just say that Saiyans are an alien breed that came from the Planet Vegeta. They're all born with tails, and possess super-strong capabilities. They can even change into destructive apes if their tails are still in tact and if they look directly at a full moon… or any replica of one…" She glanced at Chi-Chi, who appeared utterly confused. "You know, Goku's a Saiyan, too…"

Chi-Chi looked frantic. "You mean he's an _alien_? But I didn't see any tail!"

"Oh, he got it cut off by Kami, the former guardian of the Earth, many years ago," Bulma remarked, "But don't worry about Goku. In my opinion, he shouldn't even be a Saiyan—they're all reckless, but Goku's not like that at all…" She looked in Chi-Chi's direction again. "… I think you may have noticed that all ready."

Chi-Chi stared at her blankly. "And what's that suppose to mean?"

Bulma let out another good-natured laugh. "Goku's single, Chi-Chi. And you're perfect for him!"

Chi-Chi couldn't believe her ears. Bulma thought that she actually liked him! "Are you out of your mind?" she demanded incredulously. "I do _not_!"

Bulma ignored her. "You know, Goku needs to find that perfect someone who'll teach him about hygiene and manners. He fights too much—he needs a wife who'll care for him when he returns from battles. As you know, he lives alone in a small hut—isn't that sad? Don't you ever think that he gets lonely and wants someone around? Someone like you?"

Chi-Chi contemplated what Bulma had said. "He said he was fine by himself," she recalled. "He likes having the whole forest to himself where it's all quiet…"

Bulma shook her head. "Even tough guys like Goku need someone special in his life. He needs to settle down. You should definitely consider it."

Chi-Chi couldn't believe what Bulma was saying. So, she changed the subject, " Do you think Goku and the others stand a good chance against Cell?" Chi-Chi asked. She glanced at Bulma, unsure of what her answer would be.

Bulma thought about it for a moment. "You know, Chi-Chi I'm really not that sure…"

A look of terror passed Chi-Chi's face.

"But don't let it get to you!" Bulma reassured her. "Knowing Goku, something amazing will happen! I'm sure he, Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegeta will pull it off!"

Chi-Chi smiled slightly. "Thanks," she muttered.

"Aw, don't worry, Chi-Chi!" Bulma continued. "Just relax. They'll be all right!"

Despite Bulma's constant words of comfort, Chi-Chi couldn't help but worry. Sure, she'd seen a sample of Goku's strength, but she'd also seen Cell's awful power. Right now, she had no idea how Goku and the others would fare against Cell—how could Bulma be so calm?

Trying to get her mind of Goku, Chi-Chi turned her attention to the TV, which had suddenly switched to a news report. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Master Roshi entered the living room.

On the TV screen was a close-up of a tall burly man with a black Afro and mustache. As usual, he was posing in front of a huge crowd of adoring fans while tons of cameras flashed before him.

Krillin narrowed his eyes spitefully. "Don't tell me everyone still thinks Hercule can possibly save us from Cell," he remarked dully.

Yamcha stared at the TV screen. "Yeah, that guy's an idiot," he agreed.

Chi-Chi remained silent. _These guys act like Hercule's nothing. Sure, the guy may have a huge ego, but he's the World's Martial Arts Champion. Doesn't that mean anything?_

"After we defeat Cell, remind me to give that guy a piece of mind," Krillin said to no one in particular.

Chi-Chi couldn't take it anymore—she had to say _something_. She stood up all of a sudden, and everyone backed away in surprise. "What is it with you guys? Hercule's the World's Martial Arts Champion! And you all just act like he's some kind of joke!" She glanced at each of them individually, each having a stunned expression on their faces.

There was a brief moment of silence before Yamcha spoke, "Sure, he may be a strong human fighter, but he doesn't stand a chance against us," he explained gently. "We're in a whole other league."

Chi-Chi stared at all of them, bewildered. _Who _are_ these people? _

Back on top of the Lookout the next day, Goku, Trunks, and Vegeta were waiting outside the room. Piccolo had decided to go first, which Vegeta was very unhappy with.

With his arms crossed, Vegeta fumed, "What is taking that Namek so long? Doesn't he know he's wasting _important_ people's time? And why does _he_ get to go first?"

Trunks looked at his father in dismay. _How could he be so arrogant?_

Goku glanced up at his fellow Saiyan, "Vegeta, calm down. It'll only take a little while longer—"

Vegeta turned to face Goku in anger. "Calm?" he repeated incredulously. "You want me to be _calm_? How 'bout this: I'll _calm_ly drag him out!"

Suddenly, the door to the time chamber opened, and a blinding light emitted from the room. Like an angel, Piccolo emerged through the light.

Goku, Trunks, and Vegeta glanced up at the new Piccolo, sensing the new energy surrounding their Namekian friend.

_Whoa! Piccolo's energy just shot way up!_ Trunks thought in awe.

"Wow, Piccolo, you've become a lot stronger," Goku observed.

"Just admit it; I'm stronger, but it's still not enough to defeat Cell," Piccilo stated.

"Nope, don't stand a chance," Goku answered truthfully.

Trunks gawked at Goku's calm and confident answer, but Piccolo only grinned.

"Thanks, you've always been the honest one," he said.

Vegeta only scoffed, "What were you doing in there? Taking a nap?" he taunted coldly, even though he had noticed the power increase. However, he disregarded it, and stepped through the door with Trunks right behind him.

"Trunks?" Goku blurted suddenly.

The teenage boy stopped in mid-step. "Yes?"

"Keep a close eye on Vegeta, and make sure he stays calm," Goku replied with a wink. "He'll need it."

Trunks gave a thumbs-up sign, and then went through the door as well, shutting it behind him.

As soon as he'd left, Goku glanced longingly at the sky across the Lookout.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it, Goku?" Piccolo inquired.

Goku snapped into reality. "Huh? What?" he asked blankly.

Piccolo stared at him gravely. "If it's about that woman, you don't have time to let your emotions control you," he said in a low tone. "We have more important things to worry about."

Goku dwelled on Piccolo's words, but couldn't seem to figure out what he was saying. _What could he mean by that?_

**Disclaimer: **The scene outside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was from the original DBZ show. Did any of you catch that?

**A/N: **I hope none of you mind the part on Bulma and Chi-Chi's discussion. It may have been a little boring, but I had to make Chi-Chi aware of Goku's heritage, and the whole deal with Future Trunks. To be honest, I'm not even sure if Bulma is really be consoling type, but I thought that—as the only other female around—she'd be the best candidate.

As for Piccilo, I know he shouldn't be friends with Goku and the rest of the Z-fighters because Gohan wasn't there to change him, but I just wanted to have him as one of the good guys. Please R&R!


	4. Ultimatum

**A/N: **Just to let you know, things start to get dramatic in this chapter! Consider this your only warning!

Chapter Four 

It was late in the morning a day later, when suddenly, the house shook with a tremendous force. Chi-Chi fell on her back.

"What was that?" she demanded apprehensively. "Is Cell attacking?"

With great difficulty, Master Roshi crawled to the window and peeked outside. His eyes widened in horror, "Oh, no! It _is_ Cell! He's blasting the islands!"

"What? But why?" Chi-Chi asked incredulously, panic rising in her voice.

Krillin glanced out the window as well. "It'll only be a little while before he reaches us!" he exclaimed, "We're doomed!"

"No! We have to at least try to stop him!" Tien proclaimed bravely.

No one said a word, but then Yamcha nodded. "Yeah," he said, trying to sound confident.

"We'll do our best." Tien smiled, and both of them looked expectantly at Krillin.

Krillin froze in terror. "Are you guys kidding me? We don't stand a chance! Cell's way to strong for us!" He clenched his fists. "Argh! I wish Goku was here!" Glancing up at the two guys, Krillin hesitated. "I guess I'll go, too…since we have no choice."

As the three Z-fighters headed out the door, Master Roshi called out after them, "Be careful, you guys! Come back alive!"

Chi-Chi scowled while Bulma tried to quiet Trunks, who was crying in fear.

In no time, Chi-Chi, Bulma, and Master Roshi were all glancing out the window anxiously, hoping that everyone would be okay.

The battle got underway soon enough. Yamcha was the first to attack Cell, but to now avail. From what Chi-Chi saw, he threw a series of punches and kicks at the creature, but Cell just stood there perfectly still before knocking him out with a punch to the face.

Chi-Chi held her breath. She all ready hated Cell for what he did to her home and father, but watching him torment these people—even though she'd only known them for a couple of days—was more than she could bear. She turned away and shut her eyes out from the horror. But she could still hear the cries of agony and their names being called out in desperation. "Yamcha!" "Tien!" "Krillin!"

_Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin…weren't there only three people who volunteered to defeat Cell—or rather, _be defeated_ by Cell? They're all gone! Who's left to protect us? Are we going to die all ready? Just like that?_

Chi-Chi couldn't help but open her eyes and see what was going on. To her horror, she could hear Cell's sinister laugh from overhead—he wasn't far. In fact, he was closing in on them.

"Oh, no! He's coming!" Master Roshi pronounced, even though they all knew it.

Bulma turned her head and shut her eyes tight, bracing herself and poor baby Trunks, who was now crying his eyes out.

Chi-Chi couldn't help but stare at Cell as he approached the little pink house slowly—as if tormenting them. She just had to look into the face of the cold-hearted assassin that killed her father.

Cell's face twisted into a wicked smile, and a yellow ball on energy began to gather in the palm of his hand. "Such a pity," Chi-Chi heard him say, "I thought I'd have more of a challenge before killing any more victims. Oh well…" He raised the ball overheard, ready to launch it. "…Say good-bye!"

Chi-Chi shut her eyes, bracing herself for the worst.

Suddenly, the sound of thunder echoed throughout the small house, which once again, shook with a tremendous force. Everyone fell back, and glanced around.

"A-are we dead?" Master Roshi asked uncertainly.

The ground continued to tremble violently. "No, we are not! But I don't know how much longer my poor little Trunks—_or even I_—can put up with this!" Bulma exclaimed angrily.

"What was that anyway?" Chi-Chi asked curiously, struggling to pull herself to her knees.

"That's what I'd like to know," Master Roshi said, "I thought Cell would have just killed us—not blast the ocean!"

Chi-Chi scrambled over to the window and peered outside once again. To her surprise, something had crashed into the water with a great amount of force, for the seawater had risen a few hundred feet before plunging back to the ocean. _It must have been a meteorite or something,_ Chi-Chi decided, _but then where's Cell?_

She looked in all directions, but couldn't find the locust-like creature anywhere. _He must be hiding somewhere…ready to strike when we least expect it._ The thought seized Chi-Chi with fear.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small figure floating in the air far from the ground. Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes, trying to make out who the person was. From where she stood, she was relieved that the figure was not Cell, for he/she did not possess its speckled green skin and distinctive, pointed wings. In fact, the person had spiky black hair and an orange outfit…

Chi-Chi felt a sudden wave of joy pass over her. "_Goku!_" she cried happily. "He's back!"

"What?" Master Roshi's shrill voice echoed throughout the house from behind her. Now that the violent shaking had subsided, he hurried to the window. "Where?"

Bulma glanced out the window nervously. "Did he get rid of Cell?"

Without thinking, Chi-Chi dashed out the front door, and stood out on the little island. She waved over to him. "Goku! You came back! I'm so happy to see you!" Even though he'd been gone for only a few days, it felt like forever to her.

"Go back inside! It's not safe out here!" Goku yelled from far off in the distance.

"What are you talking about?" Chi-Chi asked in disbelief. "Cell's dead! You defeated him!"

She could just barely make out Goku shaking his head. "No," he stated grimly, "He's still alive. He's just hiding."

Chi-Chi turned pale. "What?"

All of a sudden, a figure—Cell—blasted from the water at incredible speed, and rammed Goku before he had a chance to react.

Chi-Chi's hand flew up to her mouth as she held in a gasp. "No! Goku!" she cried in terror.

Goku quickly recovered from the sudden attack, and vanished out of thin air.

Chi-Chi glanced around frantically. _Where did he go? Surely he didn't withdraw! He can't just abandon a fight like this!_

Cell, too, looked around, but only for a brief moment. Then, he stood perfectly still before abruptly turning around. However, he wasn't fast enough, and Goku—who suddenly reappeared as quickly as he disappeared—whammed him in the head with his fists clenched tightly together.

Plunging down toward the sea, Cell managed to stop himself just before hitting the water. "Urrh!"

Chi-Chi held her breath, for Cell was now only a good fifty yards away from her. From where she stood, she could see a smear of purple blood out from the corner of his mouth. Though it didn't suffer much physical damage, she could tell the creature's ego was cracked.

Seeming to sense Chi-Chi's fright, Cell turned to face her with a wicked smile.

Chi-Chi backed away in horror, paralyzed with fear.

Suddenly, he vanished right before her eyes, and then the next thing she knew was that a strong arm was pressed around her neck—but not too tightly. Chi-Chi struggled to pry the arm as far from her as possible, but the grip was too great. "Get your hands off me, you jerk!" she snapped at Cell.

A look of panic flew across Goku's face. It was a strange feeling to him. Sure, he'd been fearful for his friends when they were in similar situations, but this time was different…Suddenly, he felt protective of her… "Cell! Don't you dare!" He formed a kamehameha beam in his hands. "Or I _will_!"

Cell drifted away from the ground and hovered in the air right in front of Goku. "Go on, I dare you," he taunted, "Unless you're too scared to hurt the girl…Though it interests me why she matters the least to someone like you, Goku. I only wonder what would happen…if I killed her now." With that said, his arm tightened around Chi-Chi's neck.

Chi-Chi choked for air, and then soon felt her eyes grow heavy and her face turn pale. It would not be long now until she'd run out of air…

"Don't hurt her, Cell!" Goku demanded, fiercely, "Your battle's with me! Leave her alone! Do you hear me?"

A sinister smile came across Cell's face, as if he had something planned in mind. Suddenly, he released his grip on her, "Very well."

Chi-Chi let out a scream as she plunged toward the ocean, but Goku quickly sped after her and caught her just before she hit the water. Now back in his arms, Chi-Chi felt that same sense of security again, but still clung to him tightly, afraid to let go. A pang of remorse swept through her, for she knew she was only getting in his way. "Goku, I'm…"

To her surprise, he was not angry with her. Instead, his face looked understanding, but Chi-Chi could still sense his concern. "It's okay," he said, his voice sincere, "I shouldn't have left…"

Chi-Chi's eyes suddenly widened in horror, "Goku!" she cried frantically. "Look out—behind you!"

A wicked laugh came from behind Goku, and by the time he knew what was coming, it was too late. A huge _ki_ blast shot out from Cell's hand. Knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it, Goku turned his back swiftly and took the blast head-on.

Pain shot through him, and the next thing he knew was that he was falling…straight toward Master Roshi's small island!

Both Goku and Chi-Chi crashed hard on the dirt ground with a thud. Mustering all her strength, Chi-Chi struggled to pull herself to her feet. Only a few feet away from her was Goku, sprawled face-down on the ground, and lying completely still.

She ran to his side and turned him over. "_No_, Goku…"she said to herself faintly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Don't do this to me. I need you…_please_…" She inspected him for injuries.

His face was scarred, his hands were bruised and slightly scraped, and his clothes were dirty and torn here and there. Worst of all, his eyes were shut and he was barely breathing. It pained Chi-Chi to see him like this—all injured and lifeless. She gazed at him in horror and sobbed.

By now, Master Roshi and Bulma had come out of the house as well.

"…Is he going to be all right?" Bulma asked uncertainly.

Master Roshi looked sympathetic. "I'm not sure," he answered. "If only we had a _senzu _bean…"

"Have you forgotten about me?" came a voice from overhead.

All three of them glanced up. It was Cell.

Chi-Chi glared at him with fiery in her eyes. She stood up and clenched her fists. "What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"Don't feel bad about Goku; I simply knocked him out cold," Cell said casually.

"And why would someone like you only go that far?" Master Roshi wanted to know.

Chi-Chi agreed, though she didn't like what he was saying. To her, it sounded like, "Why couldn't you just kill Goku and get it over with?"

Cell grinned sinisterly. "Because then what fun would I have if I killed him now?"

"What do you mean?" Chi-Chi asked.

"In ten days, I'm going to have a tournament…" a twisted smile etched across Cell's face again. "…And I want the best fighters to be there."

"A tournament?" Master Roshi repeated in disbelief.

Cell nodded slightly. "When Goku awakens, tell him about it, and make sure he tells all his friends... It will be their last chance to try and stop me." Another sinister smile etched across his face. "…Before I take over this pathetic planet… The _Cell Game_ will be held exactly at noon. I've prepared a ring northwest of Central City, at Point 5 of Region 28 KS." He turned to leave. "…I'll be waiting." He then flew off into the distance, completely out of sight.

Chi-Chi fixed her gaze back on Goku. No way would she tell him about the tournament! He'd only get hurt again! And who knows? Cell might not go so easy on him the next time. He'd said so himself: _"Because then what fun would I have if I killed him now?"_ The words haunted Chi-Chi, and she tried to shake them off. She knelt down beside Goku's limp body, and tried to smile. Well, at least he was alive…but for how much longer?

She felt anger build up inside her. She clenched her fists once again. _Cell, this is the last time you will ever hurt anyone! You've gone too far now. I won't let you get away with this—you're gonna pay!_

* * *

Back in the house, Master Roshi, Bulma, and Chi-Chi had all carried the fallen warriors inside and placed them in small separate beds. Not long afterward, Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin woke up. While Master Roshi explained to them what had happened when they were knocked out, Chi-Chi attended to Goku, wiping his scratched face with a damp, warm cloth.

"A tournament, huh?" Chi-Chi overheard Krillin. "I don't think I'd want to compete. We've all seen how I compare to Cell; I don't stand a chance!"

Both Tien and Yamcha nodded. "Count me out," Yamcha agreed.

"But we'll probably stand by and watch," Tien explained, "Just to see how the fight turns out."

"This is a battle for the Saiyans," Krillin continued, "and Piccolo, too. I'm sure he, Vegeta, Trunks, and even Goku—when he gets better—will all be happy to finally take Cell out."

"Yeah, but Cell's really strong," Yamcha put in, "They'll all need a lot of training in these last ten days."

Chi-Chi remained silent at first, but then couldn't hold it in anymore. She turned around to face the guys. "How could you just say things like that?" she snapped.

They all backed away in shock.

"W-what do you mean?" Krillin asked anxiously.

"You saw what happened out there! You all got beaten—even Goku!" Chi-Chi continued. "Cell's too strong! You're all just wasting your time!"

"But…we aren't going to fight Cell, Goku and the others will," Yamcha added.

"No, he won't!" Chi-Chi insisted, "I won't let him!"

The others all gaped at her in shock.

Chi-Chi folded her arms and nodded indignantly. "That's right, boys," she said, "You heard me."

"B-but don't you want to see Cell to an end?" Master Roshi asked.

Chi-Chi felt a wave of anger fall over her again. "More than ever," she replied bitterly.

"W-well then, we need Goku and the others to do it," Krillin reasoned timidly.

"Don't you _dare_ say that to me!" Chi-Chi shouted, which made the other guys just back away in fear. "He's not going anywhere! Not if I have anything to say about it!" She stared hard at all of them with narrowed eyes before storming out of the house. No one said anything.

As soon as she had slammed the door behind her, Yamcha spoke up. "Talk about your commanding officer."

"Gee, I thought she was cute," Krillin put in, "but she kinda reminds me of…Bulma!"

As if on cue, Bulma, who'd just put Trunks to bed, came downstairs. "What's that about me?" she wanted to know, a little edge to her voice.

"Nothing!" Krillin insisted at once, trying to act nonchalant.

Bulma scowled, and then looked around curiously. "Hey, where's Chi-Chi?" She glanced at Krillin and the others. "Don't tell you guys scared her off all ready."

"No, we didn't!" Yamcha said defensively. "She just went outside."

"And I bet _you_ had something to do with it, am I right, Yamcha?" Bulma accused.

"I did _not_!"

"Yes, you _did_!"

"I did—"

Master Roshi broke the tension. "Will you two please stop arguing? It's nobody's fault!" His expression then turned serious, and he explained in a low tone, "She's very fond of Goku. It's hard for her to see him like this. She needs some time alone."

Bulma and Yamcha abruptly ceased their arguing, and then nodded.

* * *

Outside, Chi-Chi leaned against the small pink house and gazed off into the distance. _I can't let him fight Cell. There's just no way…I-I can't bear to see him get hurt again—and what if he dies this time? How will I ever be able to live with myself? He's all I have left in this world…_She tried to blink back tears, but they streamed down her face anyway. _Oh, Goku…it's all my fault. I shouldn't have gotten in the way. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be in this condition. I'm so sorry…_

**A/N: **I bet all you G/CC fans hate me now for what I did to poor Goku, but I had to do it. I just had to add more drama to this fic… But don't worry, Goku will be back on his feet soon.

Yeah, I know Goku doesn't stand a chance against Cell right now, but I had to make Cell close enough to get to Chi-Chi and I couldn't think of any other way besides Goku hitting him down... Please don't let it get to you.

As for the Cell Game, I know it was supposed to be announced on TV, but nah, I didn't want to completely stay true to the show. About the tournament's location, I got it off the manga. I hope it's the same as in the anime.

Please R&R if you want me to continue this fic! I love hearing from you!


	5. Leaving Again

Chapter Five

Back in the house, a faint trace of movement came from Goku's bed. Everyone glanced over in his direction with concern.

Krillin approached his bed. "Goku, are you okay?" he asked uncertainly.

Goku's eyes opened slowly. "W-where's Chi-Chi?" he questioned dimly. "Is she okay?"

Krillin nodded. "She's outside right now," he replied, "Just needed a breath of fresh air." So, maybe he didn't know whether that last part was true or not, but he had to give Goku _some_ explanation so he wouldn't worry!

Goku closed his eyes again in relief. A slight smile passed across his face.

Krillin felt very awkward. "Um, I can get her for you if you want," he suggested, pointing at the door. He glanced at Goku for a reply, but didn't receive one. "I'll take that as a yes." With that, he sped out the door.

Master Roshi glanced at Yamcha, Tien, and Bulma. "We'd better give them some time to themselves," he whispered.

The three of them nodded, and followed him upstairs.

The moment Krillin got outside, he regretted his decision; Chi-Chi had hit him straight in the face.

Krillin clutched the side of his face, which had turned red instantly. "Ow!" he cried in pain, "What'd you do that for?"

Chi-Chi let out a small gasp. "I'm sorry, Krillin! I thought you were… someone else. You know, it's always good to be on guard!"

"But you didn't have to hit me so hard! Sheesh! For a girl, you sure pack a lot of power in a single punch!" Krillin protested.

Chi-Chi glared at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?" However, she couldn't help but feel a bit haughty at the half-hearted compliment. But she couldn't think about that right now. "So, how's Goku doing?" she wanted to know.

"Oh, that's right. He wanted to see you!"

"See me?" Chi-Chi repeated incredulously, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Y-you mean, he's _up_?"

Krillin nodded, "More or less."

Chi-Chi let out a happy cry before hurrying back into the house, and in the process, slamming the door on Krillin as he tried to get back inside, too.

"Aargh!" he cried in anguish, "That-that… _woman_!"

* * *

Once inside, Chi-Chi rushed to Goku's side. "Goku, how're you feeling?" she asked in concern.

Goku opened his eyes and turned his head in her direction. He smiled a bit. "I've been better, but… I'm glad you're okay," he said meekly.

Chi-Chi took his hand in hers. "Oh Goku, it's all my fault! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be like this! I shouldn't have gotten in the way—I shouldn't have distracted you from Cell! You were only trying to protect me!"

Goku shook his head feebly. "I had to do what I had to do… I couldn't let him hurt you, Chi-Chi…"

Chi-Chi tried to smile, but couldn't. "Goku, I'm so sorry," she muttered softly, hanging her head in despair.

"No… don't be…" Goku whispered, "I understand. Besides, I'll be better soon. But then…" He hesitated, "I'll have to continue my training."

Chi-Chi looked at him in horror. "What?" she asked in shock, "But why? You need your rest, Goku! So please… stay put. I can't… I can't stand to see you like this… not again." Her voice cracked and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Hey, don't worry," Goku replied weakly, freeing his hand from her grasp to wipe her tears. "I'll be fine. But you have to understand that I have to go… Cell needs to be stopped."

Chi-Chi bit her lower lip. "Isn't there any other way?"

Goku shook his head solemnly. "I'll have to leave as soon as I get better… tomorrow, perhaps."

Chi-Chi opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't. She only looked at him with pained eyes.

"Chi-Chi, you and I both know how important this is," Goku put in gently, "Please… you have to understand…"

Chi-Chi looked into his eyes, so innocent and concerned. She could tell that he was sincere… But by now, she knew that she couldn't stop him. He'd go no matter what she said, and though she refused to admit it, his motives were unjustifiable.

She sighed deeply. "… Okay, you can go…" Yet as soon as the words left her mouth did she regret them, wishing she could take it all back.

Goku smiled a bit, but his face was still sympathetic. "Thanks, Chi-Chi," he whispered. "I knew you'd understand…" Slowly, he drifted back into sleep.

Chi-Chi gazed upon his face again. _No, Goku; if only _you'd_ understand.

* * *

_

Back at the Lookout, Trunks and Vegeta slowly emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. An angelic glow seemed to be emitting from behind them. Piccolo stared at the two Saiyans in awe. _They were all ready strong to begin with, but now their power is unbelievable…_

Trunks, whose hair had grown longer during the grueling training regimen and was now tied up at the nape of his neck, looked around the Lookout curiously. "Hey, where's Goku?" he wanted to know. "He's up next."

Piccolo scowled. "He left this morning when he sensed Cell's presence down on Earth," he clarified in a serious tone, "He told me it was important… I wonder why he's not back yet."

Trunks looked surprised. "Since this morning?" he repeated in disbelief, "You don't think that…" His voice trailed off.

Piccolo shook his head. "No," he said sternly, "I sense his _chi_, but it's faint. Something has happened to him during his fight with Cell."

The door shut behind them. Vegeta sneered, crossing his arms. "Serves him right," he said coldly. "Thought he could challenge Cell all by himself, eh? What a fool."

Both Trunks and Piccolo looked at the proud warrior in silence.

A nasty smile etched its way across Vegeta's face. "Cell needn't waste his energy on such a worthless clown. Kakarot was only signing a death warrant, but I…_I_ will be the one to defeat Cell."

Trunks frowned. _All this newfound power has gotten into Father's head. I thought he'd change in the one year we trained together…but I was wrong…he's even worse than before. He's now more arrogant than ever._

Piccolo broke the silence. "Goku's _chi_ is located on that same island we left," he notified the two, "We'd best head there to check up on him."

Trunks nodded, but Vegeta only scoffed. "Well, I suppose there's nothing better to do," he said resentfully.

With that, the three of them flew from the Lookout toward the Earth below.

* * *

In ten minutes, there was a knock on the door. Krillin answered it. His face lit up when he saw who they were. "Hey, it's you guys!" he exclaimed cheerfully, and then sensed their new _chi's_. "Wow! That Hyperbolic Time Chamber has really done something to your power levels! I bet you can all take Cell out now!"

"Don't get your hopes up yet," Piccolo warned, and stepped toward the door. "Krillin, is Goku in there?"

Krillin's enthusiastic face suddenly turned somber. "Yes. But from what the others told me—"

"What do you mean 'from what the others told you'?" Piccolo interrupted, "Weren't you there to witness it?"

Krillin shook his head. "No, Cell knocked me out cold…"

_I was right. Cell _was_ here_, Piccolo thought.

"Anyway," Krillin continued, "They told me that Goku arrived when Cell made his surprise visit early this morning. Cell attacked Chi-Chi to get to Goku…which later proved successful."

"Distracted by a mere woman?" Vegeta remarked in disgust, "How pathetic."

"So, how's Goku doing?" Trunks piped up.

Krillin gently pulled the door open some more, and stepped aside so the three could go in. "He'll be all right; he's just resting."

Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegeta entered the small house quietly. There, on a small bed next to a wall in the living room, was Goku. Covered with a white blanket, he lay still in his sleep.

Piccolo and Trunks gazed at their injured comrade in stunned silence while Vegeta just stood by with his arms crossed, his expression impassive.

Krillin shut the door behind him. "Oh, by the way, I should tell you guys something," he said in a low voice, "Cell's going to have a tournament in ten days, and he's expecting to see you guys and Goku there. It's his final ultimatum—if you guys can't stop him, he'll destroy the Earth."

"Destroy the Earth?" Trunks repeated in disbelief.

Vegeta scoffed. "You _had_ to see it coming, but no matter…" He grinned. "Cell doesn't know what he's getting himself into. When he sees me enter the ring, he will grovel in fear as he witnesses _my_ power."

Piccolo disregarded the proud Saiyan. "In ten days, you say?" he asked Krillin, who nodded. "We'd best train these last few days then." He glanced pointedly at Vegeta. "We don't know for sure if the training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was enough or not."

"You two shouldn't waste your time," Vegeta advised in a mocking tone, "For _I_ will be the one to stop Cell." Then, he left the house and flew off into the distance.

Trunks started to go after him, but then stopped. He turned to face Krillin. "We'll meet up with you at the ring in ten days," he told him.

Krillin nodded. "Take care, Trunks."

Trunks gave a thumbs-up sign, and turned to leave. "I hope Goku gets better soon," he said. Then, he flew after his father.

As Trunks flew off into the distance, Piccolo glanced at Krillin. "Are you, Yamcha, and Tien going to participate in the tournament as well?"

Krillin let out a laugh. "Are you kidding me? We all know we'd lose! That's why we decided to leave it to you guys!"

Piccolo smiled a bit, but then scowled as he looked in Goku's direction again. "Will he be better soon? He's our best hope against Cell, but he hasn't had a turn in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber yet. Once he gets back on his feet, he'll need plenty of time to prepare for Cell."

Krillin nodded. "I bet he'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, Chi-Chi hurried downstairs to check up on Goku. Yet when she turned the corner, she was surprised to find the bed empty. She glanced around the living room in horror. _Where could he have gone?_ A new thought suddenly dawned over her. _Oh, no. Don't tell me he left to fight Cell all ready! He didn't even say good-bye!_

Suddenly, just as the day before, the house began to shake with a tremendous force. Chi-Chi tried to maintain her balance, grabbing onto a nearby chair for support. "That better not be Cell again!" she said aloud, more annoyed than afraid. "He said he'd wait until the tournament was over!"

As soon as the trembling subsided, she cautiously approached the opened window in front of her. "The guy just dropped by yesterday! Doesn't he know how to take a break?" Chi-Chi muttered irritably under her breath.

Slowly, she snuck a peek outside, and a wave of elation and relief fell over her.

It was Goku.

"Goku!" she cried happily. Without thinking, she pulled herself through the window and ran toward him.

Goku, who'd suddenly noticed her, turned around. A smile spread across his cheerful face, which had now showed only faint signs of scars. "Hey," he greeted her warmly.

Chi-Chi flung herself into his arms, and hugged him tightly. To her pleasant surprise, he didn't pull away. In fact, she could have sworn he was hugging her back now… "Oh, Goku!" she said, tears of joy welling up in her eyes, "I was so worried! I thought you left to fight Cell!"

"I'm sorry I worried you, Chi-Chi," Goku apologized warmly, "Everything will be all right. I'm all better now. And I would never leave without telling you and the others first."

Chi-Chi glanced up at his face, "You don't know how glad I am that you're here—safe and in one piece…" She closed her eyes and leaned onto his chest in happiness.

Goku, who still wasn't completely used to being so physically close to anyone—especially a girl—slowly edged away. "Hey, don't worry, okay?" he reassured her, "I'm fine, Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi looked at him with relief, but then scowled. "You were training just now, weren't you?" she asked, the fact suddenly coming into her realization.

"Huh?" he asked in confusion, and then it hit him. "Oh…um, yeah…"

Chi-Chi stared at the ground forlornly. She knew what this meant. _If Goku's been up training, he will leave to fight Cell soon…_ She should have known. It was so obvious, and yet a part of her didn't want to believe the truth. _Here we are—together and for just this brief moment, out of harm's way. Can't it stay like this? Does he really have to leave? Is there no other way?_ Her thoughts traced back to the promise she made him just the previous day, the promise that she would allow him to go and train.

Goku, sensing her sorrow, tried to be as sympathetic as possible, but still, he could not wholly understand why she didn't want him to fight Cell so badly. After all, hadn't he reassured her many times now that he'd be all right and that she didn't have to worry? "…Chi-Chi," he began soothingly, "We discussed it yesterday… I haven't trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber yet, and I'll need to as soon as possible if I have any hopes of defeating Cell…" He hesitated, unsure of how to break the news to her. "I'll have to leave now."

Chi-Chi clenched her fists together at her sides, yet after a moment, she decided to give in. She forced a smile and made herself look him straight in the eyes with confidence. "A promise is a promise; go ahead and train," she told him, trying to sound sure of herself.

Goku looked stunned. "Wow. Really?" he asked in disbelief. "You mean it?"

Chi-Chi didn't say anything; only nodded. She tried to conceal her disappointment with his reaction. She couldn't help but feel that he actually sounded… thrilled.

Suddenly, Goku's delighted expression altered dramatically. His big, cheerful onyx eyes became soft and understanding. "Thanks, Chi-Chi," he said sincerely.

Chi-Chi remained silent, and after a moment, Goku walked toward the front of the small house. "I'm just going to say good-bye to the others before I leave," he informed her.

Chi-Chi tried to keep still, but out from the corner of her eyes, she caught Goku glancing in her direction, as if he expected her to do—or at least _say_—something. But she didn't, for no matter how desperately she pleaded, she knew that he'd never change his mind. He was going to walk off into danger, and there was nothing she could do about it.

**Disclaimer: **You may have noticed the scene of where Krillin gets whammed in the face by the door was adapted from the actual DBZ scene when he and Trunks arrive at Goku's house to check up on him after they lost against the Androids. I just thought that was funny. Anyway, the previous scene of where Goku recovers from injury is also adapted from the show. But instead of it being when he recovers from the heart virus, I altered it to fit this situation.


	6. Can't Let Go

Chapter Six

Goku turned the handle of the front door, but then paused. He couldn't stop thinking about what'd just happened. _Am I right to make this decision? I don't see any other way to defeat Cell, and Chi-Chi knows as well as I do that he just has to be stopped. I can't just sit around while Cell terrorizes the world and continues to kill more innocent people…but why do I feel so awful?_

He shook off his thoughts, and entered the small house. "Hey, I'm—" he began to announce in a cheery voice, but then trailed off when he noticed no one was around. "…Going now…" He shut the door behind him and peered around one more time. _Where _is_ everyone?_

A new thought occurred to him. _Maybe they're still sleeping…_Quietly, he walked upstairs. _Well, I'd hate to wake them, but I have to leave as soon as possible…_Hesitantly, he softly knocked on the door.

Inside the room, everyone was sleeping in their own small floor beds—except Bulma, who was in the next room with baby Trunks.

"Must be Bulma," Yamcha muttered groggily in his sleep, shifting positions. "Go get it, Krillin."

"Me?" Krillin repeated sleepily, "But I'm…" He yawned, "…Too tired."

Upon hearing muffled voices from the room, Goku thought it was safe to knock louder…

"Go get it, Krillin," Yamcha mumbled again, "Before she gets mad."

That got Krillin out of bed. "Fine!" he decided reluctantly, "But why _me_?"

Groggily, he slowly walked to the door, trying to keep his eyes open. Yet when he opened the door and saw who was standing before him, he snapped awake. "It's Goku!" he announced enthusiastically.

"Hey," Goku greeted warmly with a smile.

"What? _Goku_?" Now everyone else—Yamcha, Tien, and Master Roshi—jumped out of bed as well. Even Bulma bolted out of her room after hearing Krillin shout so loudly. "Wow, it really is you, Goku," she muttered to herself in relief, smiling.

"You're all better!" Krillin exclaimed. "And you're awake! How're you feeling, buddy?"

Yamcha nodded, "Yeah. We were all worried about you, especially Chi-Chi."

Goku's perky face instantly fell. "Is that so?" he asked softly, though he all ready knew the answer.

"Hey, speaking of Chi-Chi…" Bulma began, her voice tense, "…I didn't see her in the guest room when I woke up to check on her. Do you guys know where she went?" She looked pointedly at Goku.

Goku stared at the ground. "…She's outside," he said after a moment.

Krillin gulped. "Is something wrong, Goku?" he questioned apprehensively. "Every time we mention her now, you seem—I don't know… _upset_. What's up? The last time I remembered, you wanted to talk to her first thing when you were resting in bed yesterday."

Goku sighed. "It's a long story," he said simply. "In fact, I don't even know why she's so bummed out. I'm just leaving…" He then glanced at his friends. "Oh yeah, that's what I wanted to tell you guys… You see, now that I'm all better, I have to leave for the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

"You mean you didn't finish your training when you left the last time?" Tien piped up.

Goku shook his head, "No. Piccolo went first, followed by Trunks and Vegeta—"

"Trunks _and_ Vegeta?" Bulma repeated incredulously, "They went in together? I'm surprised… By the way, how's my Trunks doing?"

Goku turned to face her. "I'm sure he's fine," he reassured her, "But I had to leave before he and Vegeta finished their training. They ought to be a lot stronger by now, though."

"Goku, I think you should know…" Master Roshi suddenly interrupted in a serious tone.

Goku diverted his attention to his former trainer. "Yeah?" he asked, unsure what to expect.

Both Krillin and Yamcha gave Master Roshi the don't-say-it-you'll-regret-it sort of look, for they both knew Chi-Chi had forbade it, and were afraid of what she'd do if she were ever to find out that they'd told him…

Master Roshi remained unwavering. "… After Cell knocked you out, he announced that he would have a tournament in ten days for the best fighters around. It's the last chance you have to defend the Earth… before he takes it for himself…"

"A tournament?" Goku repeated in disbelief, a bit surprised, "Sounds exciting. Well, I guess I'd better train really hard then."

Krillin and Yamcha winced. "You just _had_ to say it!" Krillin scolded Master Roshi ruefully. "Now we're in for it!"

"Huh?" Goku asked bemusedly, "What do you mean?"

Since Krillin and Yamcha weren't going to say anything, Master Roshi continued to explain, "Chi-Chi didn't want you to know about the tournament—"

"She even threatened _us_ if we told you!" Krillin blurted, now unable to keep silent.

Yamcha nodded. "That's how much she doesn't want to get you involved with it," he added.

"Really?" Goku asked. Somehow, it had never occurred to him. However, the thought that she cared so much about him felt comforting, though he also felt the full weight of it anchoring him down from what he had to do. _Maybe this was what Piccolo meant by not letting my emotions control me, and to believe I only realized it now…_

Goku strayed from his thoughts. "Say…" He began, glancing around. "Where are Piccolo and the others? I thought they'd be done with their training by now."

"We all ready told them about the tournament when they dropped by yesterday," Krillin clarified. "They went to train some more."

Goku couldn't help but grin. "That sounds like the Vegeta I know," he remarked thoughtfully. "Speaking of training… I'd better be off now. I think I've put it off long enough. I'm way behind them as it is." He placed two fingers on his forehead. "I'll see you all soon. Tell Chi-Chi not to worry about me." Then, using his Instant Transmission technique, he disappeared.

"There he goes again…" Krillin muttered to himself. "And who knows how long he'll be gone this time?"

* * *

Suddenly, Chi-Chi felt something strange pass over her—a new sensation, as if a part of her went missing. She knew what had happened, and gazed forlornly at the ground. _I should have known what he'd decide on. Bulma told me herself that fighting's all a Saiyan cares about… Yet why do I want more from him? Why had I ever thought he'd learn to…_ Chi-Chi trailed off from her thoughts as a new one suddenly dawned over her. She sunk down to the floor miserably, and longingly looked out into the horizon.

She couldn't believe that it had just occurred to her, and smiled a little at her own naivety in spite of herself. Now it all made sense. Now she knew why she was so relieved when he returned after leaving her for two days, why she cared so much about him when he was injured from Cell, and why she was so reluctant to see him go off into battle. She didn't want him to suffer the same awful fate that her father had endured, but it was more than that… much, much more...

* * *

Four days later during dinner during dinner, the table was uncomfortably silent. Not even little baby Trunks made a sound in his mother's arms. Everyone ate without a sound, especially Chi-Chi…

Yamcha was the first to break the silence. "Aren't you the least bit hungry?" he asked in concern. "You haven't eaten at all… since Goku left…"

Chi-Chi didn't say anything—only looked at the table filled with dishes, dishes that she had insisted to prepare herself. After all, it was the only thing she could think of to get her mind off Goku. Yet her efforts proved futile.

Krillin stuffed a dumpling into his mouth. "Really, you should eat _something_; especially since this is your own cooking… It's really good, by the way."

Chi-Chi couldn't even force herself to smile. Instead she replied simply, "I'm not hungry," and didn't bother to take her eyes off the table.

For some reason, Bulma felt anger rising inside of her. Finally, she burst out, "Look, I know how much you miss Goku—we all do—but you can't just mope around all day! I'm sure _he_ wouldn't want you to starve yourself like this!" By now, Trunks had burst into tears, and Bulma struggled to restrain herself. She sighed heavily. "Excuse me," she said, obviously annoyed, as she left the table to tend to Trunks.

The stunned people at the table remained silent. Chi-Chi scowled at herself. _Bulma's right; I shouldn't just mope around. But how can I pretend everything's all right when they aren't? How can I ignore the fact that I might never see Goku again?_ She felt a rush of tears form in her eyes. Not wanting anyone to see her cry, she also excused herself from the table. "I'm sorry," she said softly, and then walked upstairs in silence to the guest room she'd slept in the previous nights.

Chi-Chi closed the door behind her, and succumbed to the tears that she'd kept inside for so long.

* * *

Back at the dinner table downstairs, everyone fell silent once again. The sorrow seemed to have caught on to everyone.

"You know, I'm not that hungry anymore…" Yamcha said to no one in particular, pushing his dish aside.

Tien did the same thing. "Uh-huh."

Krillin rolled a dumpling around in his plate with his chopsticks. "Everything's a mess now… now that Goku's gone." He paused, "But why? We've been away from Goku lots of times—times even longer than this. Why is it that we only feel like this now?" He glanced up from his food, looking expectantly at his friends.

They all kept quiet, as if they didn't know what to say.

"… It's because of Chi-Chi, I guess," Yamcha said after a moment, "It seems as if her sorrow has rubbed off on us, know what I'm saying? Not that I can blame her, though. I can see what she's going through…"

Everyone glanced at him in surprise. "You do?" they asked in unison.

Yamcha flushed. "I kind of felt like that when I lost Bulma," he confessed shyly.

"That was a completely different matter!" Krillin insisted, "You _know_ you weren't the best boyfriend!"

"Well, _maybe_…" Yamcha figured. "But I'd ought to be better than Vegeta! I mean, all the guy cares about is being better at fighting than Goku!"

Krillin waved his hand dismissively, "Yeah, sure. But I'm not buying it," he declared firmly. "The facts don't change!"

By now, the whole table couldn't help but laugh. Finally, the haunting silence and dreary depression had subsided.

* * *

Chi-Chi dried her tears, though her sleeves were all ready soaked with tears. She pressed her ear against the door, and was surprised to hear laughter. _At least they're having the time of their lives, _she thought resentfully.

She leaned her back to the door and buried her head in her knees. _How could they be so thrilled knowing that one of their closest friends might never come back?_ She hesitated _… I can't just sit here knowing that Goku's life may be in danger. I have to do something, but _what She glanced around for inspiration. Finally her eyes settled on the window, and at that moment, she knew what she had to do.

**A/N: **Dramatic music plays I bet you all hate me again for ending the chapter like that, but cliffhangers always get the reader hyped up for another chapter, right? Anyway, I bet a lot of you all ready know what's going to happen next. I hope I didn't make it too obvious… heh-heh…


	7. Taking it to the Limits

**A/N: **IMPORTANT NOTE: Please read this or you'll be in for a rude awakening. First, of all, I'm sorry I haven't updated for so long! You guys must have thought I'd given up on the fic… Well, the good news is that I'm going to post three more chapters today…the bad news is that's all I'm going to post. And no, the story doesn't end there. It's just that something unexpected has come up and I won't be writing this story anymore. Please, don't ask me why and no flames. Sorry about that, but I'll just give you the last three chapters anyway. And I thank all my readers and reviewers! I'm sorry to end it so soon!

Chapter Seven

Late that night, when everyone was asleep, Chi-Chi made her bed so that the pillows were arranged in a straight line. Then, she pulled the covers on top of them so it appeared as if someone was there sleeping. She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed her work. Chi-Chi nodded in approval—she wanted to make sure that anyone who came to check up on her at night would think that she was sound asleep in bed… She just hoped that no one would bother to look under the covers.

Chi-Chi shook off the thought. _No, that's not a possibility,_ she told herself. _There's no room for that kind of worrying._

After turning off the light, she went over to the window and opened it all the way. She stepped outside onto the narrow ledge and cautiously shut the window, careful not to lose her balance. Then, she jumped from the rooftop ledge and landed expertly on the grass floor below her.

Chi-Chi glanced back at the small pink house one last time, and contemplated her decision. _Am I being too rash?_ She thought uncertainly _… No! This is for Goku and my father— this is for the best. _

However, her renewed determination was only brief, and once she caught a glimpse of the Nimbus cloud again, she held her breath. _There's that fast little puff ball I said I'd never want to ride again._ She smiled to herself in amusement. That all seemed like such a long time ago, but she remembered it well: screaming at the top of her lungs when the cloud took off and descended. _But I have to do this…even without Goku… _

Though apprehensive, she firmly approached the cloud and pulled herself onto its feathery surface.

"Okay, Nimbus, nice and steady," she instructed the cloud anxiously. She gripped its sides tightly, bracing herself for the full speed of its take-off.

The cloud let out a small giddy giggle before taking off at blazing speeds, completely ignoring Chi-Chi's orders.

Chi-Chi couldn't help but scream in terror. In no time, she soon found herself dangling over the edge of the cloud, which still continued to fly at top speed. "Could you slow it down?" she demanded fiercely.

Not surprisingly, Nimbus refused to listen, and Chi-Chi was forced to pull herself up onto the mischievous yellow cloud. "I _told_ you not to go so fast!" she scolded it angrily.

She scowled, but then looked on in the distance sullenly. _…Goku, I promise you, this is for the best…_she told herself again.

* * *

The ride to the island took much longer than Chi-Chi had expected, and every so often, she nearly dozed off. Her eyelids grew heavy as the weight of sleep tried to engulf her. However, before she could allow herself to succumb to it, a white platform came into view on a large island down below.

Chi-Chi snapped awake. "That must be it!" she exclaimed to no one in particular. _Wow. No kidding; he did build himself a ring—pretty tacky for such a huge fight,_ she thought half-heartedly. She turned her attention to the yellow cloud. "Okay, Nimbus, you know the drill," she prompted sternly, "I don't want to have to tell you again."

Yet just like the last time, the naughty cloud refused to obey her orders, and descended like a shooting star. It took all Chi-Chi had in her not to scream again in her efforts to have a quiet entrance.

In no time, the Nimbus cloud reached an abrupt stop at the platform. Chi-Chi quickly got off and glared at it, which made it scurry away in fright. _There goes my one-way ticket off this island…_ She sighed, and then turned to face Cell, who stood perfectly still in the center of the ring with his arms crossed and eyes closed, as if he was asleep. However, Chi-Chi refused to let her guard down.

"Come on, you monster!" she cried furiously, "I know you're not asleep!"

Cell's eyes snapped wide open. An evil grin crossed his face.

At that moment, Chi-Chi instantly regretted her bold words. A part of her screamed: _Get out of here! It's too dangerous! You're toast! Cell will kill you!_ Yet another part of her firmly told her: _There's no backing out now. You came this far, and—win or lose—you _will_ get the job done. Just think about all the awful things Cell has done. Do you want him wreak more havoc? No! He _has_ to be stopped! _

Cell studied her. "I remember you; you're that girl I nearly killed yesterday," he said, a taunting tone in his cold-heated voice. "Have you forgotten that my tournament is still nine days away?"

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes. "No, I haven't," she replied bitterly. "In fact, I'm here for revenge…"

Cell seemed amused, "Oh, really? And what makes you think you can actually stop me?" He didn't allow her a chance to reply, "You know, I shouldn't be having any fun until the day of the tournament, but why waste a golden opportunity? I'm bored stiff." He got into a fighting stance. "Come at me."

Chi-Chi braced herself for a full-on attack. A confident grin etched across her face. "As you wish," she remarked, and then charged at him with full speed. "But you're gonna pay for what you did!"

A twisted smile played on Cell's face. "You are truly naïve."

…

* * *

The hour was almost midnight, and Goku—now back from the Hyperbolic Chamber—sat restlessly beside a motionless Chi-Chi's bedside, his head buried in his knees in despair. Every few seconds, he would glance up at her as if expecting—or rather, _hoping_ to see her awake.

It had been two longs days since Goku had rescued Chi-Chi from Cell. In the nick of time, he'd finished his training and recognized her dramatically decreasing _chi_ down on Earth as soon as he left the chamber. Using his Instant Transmission technique, he'd managed to save her just before Cell unleashed his finishing blow. And though he had to evade the ring, he had felt no regrets leaving Cell behind… the only thing that mattered to him now was if Chi-Chi was alive, but so far, she hadn't made a sound.

_It's all my fault,_ Goku thought miserably. _I shouldn't have left her… I should have been there to protect her… _

Suddenly, Krillin came downstairs to check on the two. "Any luck yet?" he asked softly.

Goku glanced up at Krillin, and shook his head sadly. "Nothing," he replied faintly. He turned back towards Chi-Chi. "I can't believe it! I was only gone for a day to train, and _this_ had to happen!" He hesitated, "… I told her I'd be all right…"

Krillin fell silent. "… I'm sorry, Goku," he said after a moment, "We had no idea she'd leave like that. But when we noticed her missing yesterday morning… we knew what she'd gone to do."

"But _why_, Krillin? Why'd she have to do it?" Goku asked, his once-big and cheery eyes now filled with pain. It was the question that haunted him the last two days.

Krillin shrugged. "Well, I guess… _love_ does these things, you know?"

Goku looked up at his friend for a moment. "Love?" he repeated, bemused. "What's that?"

Krillin froze. _Oh, great. How am I going to explain this one?_ He felt himself stiffen uncomfortably. "Um, let's just say love is when you really care about someone and you don't want anything bad to happen to them. But it's not just that. Love is much deeper than friendships… And when something bad actually does happen to them, you feel terrible inside, because you feel that it was your fault that you let them down." Memorizes of 18 suddenly flooded his mind, and he grimaced at the thought that he himself had let her down by allowing Cell to absorb her…

Goku gazed fondly at Chi-Chi. _So that's what it is—_love_? Is that the feeling Chi-Chi has for me? Is that how _I_ feel?_ It all started to sink in. _No wonder she was so worried about me when I insisted on leaving—she didn't want anything bad to happen to me._ And although he knew he heard her protests more than enough times to realize this, it didn't seem to make sense until now. _It's because she loves me…_ The thought dawned over him, and for some reason, he felt a twinge of happiness inside.

"But it's not your fault, Goku," Krillin continued at last, drawing Goku away from his thoughts. "And don't you ever feel that way…" He lowered his voice. "But I have to be honest with you… It's been two days now. I… I don't think she's going to make it—"

Krillin's words struck Goku like a hammer. He felt a rush of anger build up inside him. "Don't even say that, okay? She's alive!" he insisted furiously.

Krillin backed away, stunned. "O-okay, Goku, old buddy," he said timidly, "Don't worry; I'll believe whatever you say!"

Goku sighed, trying to calm himself. "I… I'm sorry, Krillin," he apologized, "But this is really hard for me… I don't know what I'd do… if she…" He couldn't get himself to say it.

Krillin nodded sympathetically. "Well, just get some sleep soon, Goku," he advised, "It's what Chi-Chi would want." He turned to leave. After flipping the light switch, he walked upstairs.

After the door clicked shut, the room was completely silent.

_She's alive_, Goku told himself for the hundredth time. _I just know it…_ However, with each passing second, he felt less and less sure of himself.

He gazed sadly at Chi-Chi, who still lay motionless in bed. _Chi-Chi, please wake up. You have to… I don't know what I'd do without you…_

Suddenly, he felt something warm and wet stream down his face. He wiped it away irritably. _Tears?_ He couldn't believe it. _When was the last time I cried?_ None came to his mind.

He took her cold hand in his. Soon enough, his eyes grew heavy as he finally cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Chi-Chi blinked her eyes open and gazed around. To her surprise, it was really difficult to move even her head; every turn she made was painful…

Somehow, she was back in Master Roshi's house in a small bed in the living room. Everything was quiet, and the whole room was bright. Chi-Chi glanced out the window and saw sunlight streaming in.

Her brow furrowed in confusion. _Why am I back here? Where's Cell?_ She tried to think back: _…The last thing I remember was challenging Cell at night. I charged at him, and the next thing I knew was… pitch black._ It dawned over her what had happened, and she stared miserably at the ceiling. _And to have thought I could take on Cell…_ She hesitated. _No, I never really thought I could beat him in battle… I guess I just had some impossible hope that maybe I could stop him from hurting any more people—to stop him from hurting Goku—and to avenge what he'd taken from me… But who am I kidding? What was I thinking?_

Suddenly, Chi-Chi felt a warm and gentle hand against hers. Ignoring the pain, she turned her head to the side to see who it was, and would have screamed if it weren't for her inability to let it escape from her lungs. For right there leaning from the bedside with his head face-down on the covers sound asleep, was a stranger Chi-Chi had never met before with spiky blond hair.

In fright, she pulled her hand away from the man's grasp. Then, mustering what little strength she had left, she tapped him on the shoulder.

He didn't wake up.

Chi-Chi tried again, but still received the same result.

Loosing her patience, Chi-Chi tried shaking him by the shoulders while yelling as loud as she could, "Hey, wake up!" However, the "yell" wasn't much louder than a husky whisper. She cleared her throat, surprised at how hoarse her voice sounded.

At last, the stranger stirred in his sleep. He lifted his head slowly, and then blinked his eyes. A relieved and joyous smile formed across his face. "Chi-Chi, you're awake!" he exclaimed fondly, "I'm so glad!"

Feeling hostile, Chi-Chi forced herself to sit up straight in bed, even though it sent pain up her every muscle. She backed away from him uncertainly. "H-how do you know my name?" she demanded, "Who are you? I've never seen you before in my entire life!" Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain coming from her arm, and winced in pain. Her other arm flew up to her injured one.

The man looked concerned. He quickly sat down on the bed, and reached out for Chi-Chi's injured arm.

Chi-Chi recoiled. "I don't need your help," she insisted tenaciously.

"What are you talking about? Come on, Chi-Chi," he urged gently, "Don't be so stubborn."

Chi-Chi glanced up at the man, and finally took in his features. Apart from his spiky blond hair, the stranger had sincere teal eyes and the most welcoming and friendly face Chi-Chi had ever seen… Even his orange clothes and voice resembled that of… A new thought suddenly occurred to her. She gazed at him quizzically. "Goku?" she asked hesitantly, yet hopefully. "Goku, is that you?"

The man glanced at her straight in the eyes. "Of course it's me!" he said with a smile. "Who'd you think I was?"

A wave of delight passed through her, "Oh, Goku! It _is_ you!" Tears of joy welled up in her eyes, just like they had when he'd recovered from his injuries with Cell. She felt compelled to embrace him in a hug, but knew better than that right now. "But how? Your hair, your eyes—they're different!"

Goku stared at her blankly for a moment, and then let out a good-natured laugh. "Oh, that's right! How could I forget?" he smiled at his own naiveté. "When I trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber three days ago, I managed to remain in this Super Saiyan state. My goal is that perfecting this state will allow me to stay like this without it being so draining…"

Chi-Chi blinked twice in confusion, "Okay, um, yeah sure…" She recalled Bulma telling her about Saiyans, but _Super_ Saiyans? Her mind was just getting used to what a regular Saiyan was!

"Anyway, did you say three days ago?" she blurted all of a sudden, "I was out for that long? Seriously?" She couldn't believe it. The whole thing just seemed like a day ago.

Goku nodded grimly, and then took a hold of Chi-Chi's injured arm. His gentle touch didn't even make her flinch in pain. He ripped a small portion of the blanket's corner and tied it around Chi-Chi's arm. "There, how's that?" he asked her, smiling a little.

Chi-Chi glanced down at the cast. "Thanks," she said, a bit surprised. _How could someone like Goku actually know these things? After all, it was just last week that he knew nothing about manners and hygiene… _

Goku's cheery face suddenly turned serious. "… Chi-Chi, I have to know, why did you _do_ that? Why did you go to fight Cell?" Even though Krillin had told him the other night, he had to hear Chi-Chi say it for herself.

It took a moment for his words to actually sink in. Chi-Chi looked down at the bed. "I had to… for reasons you couldn't understand," she said forlornly.

"Why? Why wouldn't I understand?" Goku wanted to know. To her surprise, he sounded more concerned than angry to Chi-Chi.

This was the moment. This was the moment when Chi-Chi could finally tell him everything—everything that she had kept inside for so long… She glanced up at him suddenly with tears streaming down her face. "You're a Saiyan, Goku! All you live for is fighting! If you had it your way, you would fight to your _death_ if it meant saving the world!" Her voice cracked. "B-but I… I couldn't stand it, Goku. You went away for so long so many times… I feared you'd never come back." She glanced up at Goku, who looked sympathetic, but didn't say anything.

"Then, you got hurt by Cell, and I feared the worst," Chi-Chi continued, "When you recovered and told me you were to resume your training, I wouldn't have it! I couldn't let you get hurt again, Goku! And I was afraid that Cell would actually kill you this time!" Overwhelmed by sorrow, she soon found herself leaning against Goku, crying into his shirt. She could tell that the moment was still fairly awkward for him, but he still held her close, which comforted her a little.

"So, I had to do it!" Chi-Chi sobbed. "I had to go and at least _try_ to end my miseries by taking Cell out so he wouldn't cause any more destruction… any more pain…" Her voice trailed off. "I'm so sorry, but there was no other way… I-I love you, Goku…" The words seemed to have floated out of her mouth by themselves.

That word again—the word Krillin had just told him about yesterday. …_So, Krillin was right,_ Goku thought. _She does love me._ The thought made him feel a strange elation, but he couldn't be distracted by that right now. Goku hugged her even more tightly, as if he was afraid of what would happen if he'd let go. "No, it's all my fault, Chi-Chi; I shouldn't have gone out so many times, and on such short notice, too," he apologized sincerely. "So, I'm the one who's sorry. But please… _please_ just don't try to pull that kind of stunt off again. I was really worried."

Chi-Chi felt the full warmth of his embrace, and closed her eyes in contentment. "Don't worry," she reassured him, "I won't."

With Chi-Chi now safe in his arms, Goku felt like staying by her side forever. However, he knew he couldn't—at least, not yet; he still had business to take care of. He released his hold on Chi-Chi, and gently informed her, "Hey, I know how much you hate it when I leave, but I have to… just one last time. When I rescued you from Cell three days ago, I didn't have an opportunity to defeat him. But now I'll get the chance, after I do some more training. I just had to make sure you were all right first."

The thought felt comforting to Chi-Chi, but she still glanced up at him, her face impassive. Goku didn't know whether she resented his decision or permitted it. So, he continued, "I'll be fine, okay? Just trust me."

Chi-Chi recalled the previous week when Goku had said those same words when she was reluctant to ride on the Nimbus cloud: _"Just trust me"…_ Somehow, at that moment, she felt reassured that everything would be all right.

"… I trust you," she replied after a moment.

Goku looked at her, surprised. "You do?" he asked in disbelief.

Chi-Chi nodded, and for once, she felt confident about her answer. "I want you to give it all you've got!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks, Chi-Chi," Goku answered, and then smiled a little. "I'll be back before you know it. And could you please tell the others about this when they wake up? I'm sort of in a hurry."

Chi-Chi nodded again, "Sure, no problem."

Having no reason to dawdle any longer, Goku's mind told him to stand up to leave, but he couldn't get his feet to obey. Something deep inside his head felt the need to do something _else_ before he left. Willing himself, Goku leaned forward and shyly gave Chi-Chi a small kiss on the cheek, just as he had seen Yamcha done with Bulma many times in the past.

He pulled away and smiled sheepishly. "Well, see ya."

With that, he hurried out the door and flew off. Chi-Chi only stared at him in stunned silence as he took off. Feeling the gentle embrace left of the side of her face, she smiled to herself. However, her previous injuries started to set in again, and so, she lied down in bed once more. Pulling the covers up to her shoulders, she closed her eyes in contentment. _Go out there and give Cell a piece of mind, Goku. I know you can do it. I'm counting on you…_


	8. Perfect for Each Other

Chapter Eight

As Goku flew away from the small island, he fell into a daze. Suddenly, he felt so calm and carefree as if nothing could go wrong. He had no idea what he had just done, but he'd felt the urge to do it.

He recalled what Krillin had said the other night about love. _So, is this what it feels like to be in love? It just seems so strange to me: how you can feel so happy and content one minute when you know they're safe, and yet so down and miserable when something bad happens to them?_ He laced his fingers behind his neck and turned over onto his back, drifting slowly in the air. _But _why_ do I feel this way? I've never felt anything like this before. In fact, before now, girls were just another form of guys—except louder and more squeamish. _He thought about Bulma when he first met her many years ago, and smiled in amusement. _Yep, definitely more squeamish._

_But Chi-Chi… I don't know… She's different. When I'm with her, I feel whole and complete, as if I can do anything. _He closed his eyes for a moment. _I _do_ love her, but sometimes, she worries about me too much. I wish she could all just let it go, and really have my word that I'll be all right…After all, it's her lack of trust in me that got her hurt in the first place… _He tried to shake off the thought. _But I have nothing to fear; she said so herself that she trusts me now, and I believe her. Somehow, I just know she's telling the truth…_

Goku, now content that he wouldn't have to worry about Chi-Chi hurting herself again, pulled away from his preoccupied thoughts to think about the situation on hand. _My best bet is to train again in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Although I feel pretty confident about my current Super Saiyan form, I can never be sure. Perhaps I will try again to transcend the Super Saiyan. I know there's a level of ascension that I have not reached yet. _He put on more speed. _I don't have a lot of time. We've only got two days left before the Cell Game. _

Suddenly, he became aware of three familiar _chi's_, except all had grown substantially stronger since the last time he remembered. _Wow. Trunks's and Vegeta's power levels have improved enormously. I guess the time chamber really has worked wonders for them, too… And Piccolo… he's actually at the Lookout right now…_

In no time, Goku arrived on top of the Lookout. The first thing he noticed was Piccolo floating above the ground with a glowing light illuminating from him. Clearly, he was in a meditative state, and Goku knew better than to interrupt. Instead, Goku directed his attention to Mr. Popo, who was standing nearby observing Piccolo.

"Hey, Mr. Popo," Goku greeted in his usual friendly manner.

Mr. Popo smiled, suddenly aware of Goku's presence. "Well, hello, Goku."

"How long has Piccolo been meditating?" Goku wanted to know.

"For seven long days," Mr. Popo replied, "That's all he's been doing since then."

Goku gazed at his Namekian friend. "Training for the Cell Games, no doubt," he reflected aloud, "I bet Trunks and Vegeta are doing the same." He faced Mr. Popo. "Hey, um, do you mind if I take another spin at the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"

Mr. Popo looked a bit surprised. "What? Now? You do know that the room can only be used twice in a lifetime, right?" he questioned.

Goku nodded. "Yes, I'm aware," he said in a serious tone, "But even in my present state, I don't know if I'm strong enough to defeat Cell. With only two days before the tournament, I don't want to take any chances."

"I see," Mr. Popo replied. They both walked toward the dome-shaped building, and then Mr. Popo held the door open for Goku. The interior light emitting from the room shone brightly through the doorframe. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks," Goku said, stepping through the door and into the huge room. The door shut behind him, and Goku gazed out into the spacious white distance before him. He drew in a deep breath. _Okay, this is it: round two. And this time, I _will_ go beyond a Super Saiyan…_

With renewed determination, Goku stepped off the platform and entered the infinitely white space. And thus, another year of his grueling training began.

* * *

Back at Master Roshi's house later that morning, Bulma was the first one awake. As she reached the bottom stair, she glanced in Chi-Chi's direction, expecting to see Goku asleep by her bedside as he had been the last few days. Yet to her surprise, he wasn't there. "Huh? I don't get it," she said to herself, "Goku wouldn't just leave like that. Where _is_ he?"

Upon hearing Bulma's voice, Chi-Chi forced herself to sit up straight in bed, which she found somewhat easier than it had hours ago. "He's not here right now," she explained in as loud a voice she could muster.

Bulma let out a small gasp. "Chi-Chi, you're up!" she explained incredulously. "We thought you were…" Her voice trailed off, "So, uh, _what_ about Goku?" A scowl formed on her face and she placed her hands on her hips. "What do you mean 'he's not here right now'?"

"He left this morning to train some more," Chi-Chi continued calmly. "He wanted to tell you guys, but he was running short on time. I hope you understand."

Bulma disregarded what Chi-Chi had just said. "Wow, for someone who was really depressed about him leaving a week ago, you seem totally okay with it now." She looked at Chi-Chi quizzically. "I wonder why…"

Now that she thought about it, Chi-Chi wondered the same thing. _Am I really all right with him leaving now just because he reassured me he'd be all right and asked me to trust him? He'd said the same thing the last time, and yet I didn't believe him then. Why only is it now that I faith in him when I hadn't before? Is it because I've finally accepted that no matter how hard I try, I can't stop him from fighting? Is it because I've at long last learned to trust him? Or is it something else?_ She recalled their whole conversation earlier that morning, and stumbled across the small kiss he gave her on the cheek while bidding her farewell. She felt herself blush at the thought as a slight smile formed across her face.

Bulma noticed it instantly. "Aha!" she cried triumphantly. "I knew something was up! Just what happened this morning?"

Chi-Chi shrugged. "Nothing," she lied, "I guess I've just learned to trust him." She decided to leave out the part about the kiss. Knowing Bulma, she'd probably make a huge fuss out of it and rave about how she knew they were "meant to be."

Bulma suddenly pointed at Chi-Chi's arm. "Hey! Where'd you get that cast? I'm sure none of us made that for you!" she blurted.

Chi-Chi glanced down at her arm, which was wrapped in the white blanket Goku had made into a cast for her earlier. "Oh, um…"

Bulma didn't give Chi-Chi a chance to explain. "Goku made it, didn't he?" She let out a laugh. "And to think someone like him knew about first aid?"

Strangely enough, Chi-Chi had thought the same.

"Huh, I've never seen Goku make a cast for anyone before! You must have drawn out his hidden talents, Chi-Chi!" she joked. "Maybe you really are his special someone! I knew it! You two are perfect for each other!"

_How ironic,_ Chi-Chi thought dully. _Even with my lie, she still noticed my cast and managed to claim that Goku and I are "perfect for each other."_ However, Chi-Chi couldn't help but feel hopeful of the thought now…

Suddenly, Bulma turned toward the staircase again. "I better go tell everyone!" she exclaimed eagerly.

A look of panic struck Chi-Chi. "No!" she cried, "Are you crazy? You can't!" Upon yelling so loudly, she choked on her words. "I won't be able to live with myself! Bulma, it's not even official!" The more desperate she got, the sillier her pleads sounded.

Bulma remained on the bottom stairs, her feet lingering from taking steps. A mischievous smile made its way across her face, as if she was taunting Chi-Chi. "Who should I tell first?" she wondered loudly. "_Hmm_…"

Chi-Chi couldn't take it anymore. All of a sudden, she burst out of bed, ready to tackle Bulma. "Oh, no, you don't! You're not telling anyone!"

Bulma's eyes dilated, and she quickly ran to cower behind a couch. "Gosh! You don't have to get all mad! I was just kidding!" she confessed.

Chi-Chi stopped her attack instantly. "Y-you were?" she asked timidly, now realizing how stupid she must have acted.

Now that she was free from the wrath of Chi-Chi, Bulma got up from her hiding place and approached the raven-haired woman. "Of course I was," she said, "I'm not _that_ mean. Besides, this is something between you and Goku. Do you really think I'd tell any of those guys?" She laughed. "But anyway, you should have seen the look on your face! It was hilarious! I knew that would get you out of bed."

The truth struck Chi-Chi hard, and her face contorted with anger once again. "So, that was all some cruel joke to get me out of bed, huh?" she demanded. "Well, I wouldn't laugh if I were you!"

Bulma held her ground. "You should be thanking me!" she retorted, "If it weren't for me, you'd still be in bed doing nothing but sleep! In fact, you can pretty much say I _cured_ you! Just look at yourself now—you're perfectly fine!"

Chi-Chi opened her mouth to protest, but then thought about what Bulma had just said. She had a point. Somehow, Chi-Chi felt all better now…

All of a sudden, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Master Roshi scrambled out from their shared room.

"Gosh! What's the matter here? Did a volcano just erupt or something?" Master Roshi demanded, his voice apprehensive.

Yamcha glanced down the stairs to see Bulma and Chi-Chi standing at the bottom, staring at the group of men in silence. "No, it's just two girls in an all-out female war," he explained flatly. "And will you guys keep it down? We're _trying_ to sleep here!"

Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I'm _sorry_," she said sarcastically. "But it's not my fault you guys sleep in so late!"

Suddenly, crying erupted from upstairs.

Bulma threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Look what you did! You made him cry!" she insisted, storming up the stairs. "What it is with men?" She disappeared into her room. Everyone kept quiet, shocked into silence.

After a moment, Krillin spoke up, "Hey, is Goku down there still?" he asked Chi-Chi.

It took a little while for his words to actually sink in. "No, he left earlier this morning," she replied. "He wanted to say good-bye, but he had to train some more—"

"Train some _more_?" Tien repeated, "You mean he wasn't confident even in his perfected Super Saiyan state?"

Chi-Chi still couldn't figure out the whole Super Saiyan deal out, so she just shrugged. "I guess," she said.

Yamcha and Tien exchanged nervous glances. "If even Goku's not sure of how he'd fare against Cell now, do we even stand a chance?" Yamcha asked apprehensively.

Chi-Chi couldn't help but say something. "Of course we do!" she piped up boldly. "Goku _will_ defeat Cell!"

Everyone stared at her in shocked silence. "Whoa, is this really Chi-Chi who's saying this, or are my eyes deceiving me?" Krillin asked dubiously.

Chi-Chi scowled. "Who do you _think_ I am?" she snapped.

Krillin backed away in surprise. "Well, I'm just saying that you don't sound like the Chi-Chi who's been here this past week—"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chi-Chi demanded, her voice rising.

Yamcha stepped forward apprehensively. "What Krillin's trying to say is that you've been freaking out about Goku all this time, and now… I don't know… you don't seem too… _worried_."

Chi-Chi thought about what he'd said and related them to what Bulma had said this morning, too. "…I've just learned to put my trust in him," she replied after a moment, cautious not to slip like she had with Bulma. She glanced down at her arm, which was covered with a cast. "And as for this cast, Bulma made it for me this morning." Chi-Chi regretted her lie as soon as the words left her mouth. After seeing their little feud, will the guys seriously believe that Bulma would do something so nice as to make a cast for her?

After an ephemeral moment of silence, all four of the guys nodded. "Makes sense to me," Krillin piped up.

Chi-Chi stared at them in disbelief. _Gosh, and I thought _Goku_ was dense?_

"Well, we're just glad you're finally up and running," Yamcha added, "You've been out for three days."

Chi-Chi frowned. "Yeah, I know," she muttered, "Goku told me before he left."

More silence.

"Hey, I could probably whip up something for breakfast," Chi-Chi said at last, "Besides, I haven't eaten for ages. I'm starving right now! How's that sound?"

"That sounds great! Thanks!" Krillin blurted, enthusiastically.

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Yamcha offered. "I mean, you just recovered…"

Chi-Chi shook her head. "Nah, I'm fine," she stated. "Just be washed up and ready to eat in half an hour."

As Chi-Chi went off to the kitchen, Krillin pulled Yamcha aside while the other two guys headed off into separate bathrooms. "You know, I think Chi-Chi would be the perfect wife for Goku," he whispered.

Yamcha's eyes widened. "What?" He pulled back in shock, "Goku—of all people—getting _married_? Krillin, are you out of your mind?"

Krillin glanced down the stairs frantically in Chi-Chi's direction, who was searching through cupboards as if nothing had happened. He glared at Yamcha. "Will you tone it down?" he hissed, "Do you want her to hear you?"

Suddenly realizing his mistake, Yamcha took a deep breath before leaning in to hear what Krillin had to say. This time, he was cautious to keep his voice low. "But Krillin, do you think that Goku—Mr. I-love-to-train—would really _want_ to settle down?"

"Well, why not?" Krillin countered. "After all, Vegeta did, didn't he? Who would have guessed? Not me, that's for sure!"

Yamcha didn't say anything, so Krillin spoke for him.

"Besides, Chi-Chi loves to cook, and Goku loves food. Don't you see the connection?"

Yamcha scowled. "That can't be all! What else is there?"

Krillin thought for a moment. "_Well_…" he began, but then faltered, unable to finish his sentence.

As if on cue, Bulma suddenly burst out of her room. Now that she'd all ready tended to Trunks, no more cries emitted from the room.

"It's because she's independent," Bulma finished for him, "Goku needs someone who can take care of herself when he's out saving the world all of the time. Chi-Chi can do that just fine."

Krillin and Yamcha stared at her in shocked silence. "Y-you mean you heard what we said?" Krillin asked feebly.

Bulma nodded. "But then again, who wouldn't have heard? You guys are just outside my door and—honestly, how could you call that _whispering_? I could hear you both loud and clear!"

Yamcha pointed in Chi-Chi's direction. "But she didn't hear us," he pointed out defensively.

"Well, thank goodness! Otherwise, you'd have been busted!"

Krillin shook his head. "Okay, enough with the arguing!" He turned his attention towards Bulma. "So, how long have you, um, how should I put this? … Noticed their compatibility?"

"Much longer than you have—that's for sure!" Bulma answered haughtily. "I noticed it right when Chi-Chi first came here."

Krillin and Yamcha glanced at each other dejectedly.

"But anyway, since when have you guys decided to become matchmakers?" Bulma blurted curiously.

"_Matchmakers_?" Yamcha repeated incredulously. "I wouldn't call it that! And besides, this was all Krillin's idea!"

Krillin became frantic. "Don't blame me!" he insisted.

Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on, you bunch of babies! It's not like it's a bad thing! Gosh! You guys are such big sissies!"

All of a sudden, there came a voice from downstairs. "I hope all of you guys are washed up! Breakfast will be ready soon!"

Everyone glanced downstairs for a moment. "Gee, that was fast," Krillin muttered to no one in particular.

Bulma glared at them. "We will discuss this later," she stated, before heading off to one of the bathrooms.

Krillin and Yamcha remained silent until she was out of sight. Then, Yamcha leaned in and whispered to Krillin, "But Goku doesn't know a _thing_ about marriage! I bet he doesn't even know what love is!"

Krillin shook his head. "No, he _does_ know about love…" He hesitated. "At least, I think so… I told him about it a few days ago… And as for marriage, we can teach him."

Yamcha's eyes dilated once more. "_Teach him_?" he repeated incredulously, "Krillin, just listen to yourself! You must be out of your mind!"

Suddenly, a stern voice rang from downstairs, "I hope you two are washed up or you're not getting any food!"

Krillin and Yamcha looked to see who it was. It was Chi-Chi.

Yamcha turned to Krillin and mouthed to words, "Did she hear us?"

Krillin just shrugged.

"Hello! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Chi-Chi barked.

The two guys jumped back in fright. "Yes, Chi-Chi—I mean, ma'am!" Krillin replied frantically. "We'll be off then!" Quickly, both men darted to use a bathroom. A crash abruptly came from an upstairs room, then a loud, "Hey, can't a girl get some privacy around here?" A door slammed the next moment.

Chi-Chi could only smile to herself in amusement. _Gosh, this house is so chaotic. I bet Goku would laugh if he were here…_She glanced out the window longingly, the same one that she had climbed out of to greet Goku after he'd recovered from his injuries with Cell. _Just two more days until the Cell Game…_


	9. The Cell Games

**A/N: **Just for the heads up, this opening chapter of the Cell Game is very different from the show. First of all, there're no ZTV broadcasters since the tournament was only announced to the Z-fighters. In turn, there is no Hercule, who I have no intention of making any real appearance in this fic. Why? Because I don't like him at all! He's a total fraud who took credit for defeating Cell! (I shouldn't have mentioned him in the beginning then… oh, well. Sorry for the lead-on.) Anyway, this is my own fic, and though I want to keep it as much in tune with the storyline as possible, I don't want to duplicate the original events that most DBZ fans all ready know about.

Also, Android #16 will also not be included, because I don't think he has any key role in this fic. In the show, he helped Gohan unleash his rage, but since Gohan's not in this fic, I don't see any reason to include #16… Okay, enough with my long note—on to the story!

Chapter Nine

Two days passed, and the day of the Cell Game finally arrived. The diabolical creature stood still in the center of his handmade ring. _The day has come. I can't wait until you're here… Goku_, he thought eagerly.

It was a quarter till noon, and Vegeta and Trunks were the first to arrive.

"Ah, yes… Vegeta… back for more?" Cell sneered, "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

Vegeta simply scoffed. "I wouldn't say that if I were you. You may have been stronger than me when we last fought, but I've grown a lot more powerful myself in the past few days. In fact, I'll be the first to take you out!"

"That's a pretty bold statement for someone who was so utterly beaten the last time," Cell taunted, "You may have grown much stronger since our last battle, but you're still no match for me."

The proud Saiyan only grinned. "We'll see about that."

Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin arrived next shortly after.

Vegeta only looked at them with disgust. "Don't tell me you three are fighting too," he said coldly, "You'll only get in the way."

"At least someone's confident today," Yamcha muttered spitefully under his breath.

Krillin just ignored the remark, and turned to Trunks. "Hey, do you know where Goku is?"

Trunks shook his head. "The last time I saw him, he was with you, remember?"

"Oh, right," Krillin said, "But after he recovered from his injuries with Cell, he left to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber again two days ago—"

That caught Vegeta's attention. "What do you mean, 'again'?" he demanded, "How many times has he trained in there?"

Krillin raised an eyebrow. "Twice, but so what?"

Vegeta felt his anger boiling over. _So, Kakarot decided to take full advantage of the time chamber? Just how strong did he get? Surely, he can't be more powerful than me! I will not allow it! _

As if sensing his father's thought, Trunks cut in, "Father, we've done all we can. We've both trained in the room twice now, too. There's nothing more we can do—"

Suddenly, two huge spikes of energy became present. Everyone diverted their attentions toward the two flying figures approaching from the distance, each emitting their own distinctive flame. One was white, the other was yellow.

A wicked smile crossed Cell's face. _Goku… at last. I look forward to our match…_

Krillin squinted up at the mysterious figures. "It's Piccolo and Goku! They're finally here!" he announced enthusiastically. "And wow! Their _chi's_ are enormous, especially Goku's!"

Vegeta only looked on with anger. Though he refused to admit it, he could sense Goku's new energy was unbelievable… and much greater than his own. _Kakarot, how dare you! It's not possible! _

"You're right, Krillin!" Tien added, "They've gotten incredibly stronger since the last time we saw them!"

Soon enough, both Goku and Piccolo landed by the ringside. Goku looked on at all his fellow Z-fighters. "Hey, how's it going?" he greeted casually.

Vegeta continued to stare at his rival in disbelief, his every nerve trembling with anger. _I don't understand it: he's a Super Saiyan, all right, but it appears to be his natural state…_

Krillin surveyed his friend, who appeared just as he'd last seen him two days ago, but an even stronger energy emitted from him. "Wow, Goku. You've really changed…" Krillin said in awe.

"It's from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Goku replied, "Sorry I didn't get to tell you before I left. I hope Chi-Chi did, though." He paused for a moment. "Speaking of Chi-Chi… how's she doing, anyway?" He glanced at Krillin expectantly, unsure of what he'd say.

Yamcha and Krillin exchanged relaxed glances. "Oh, you don't have to worry about her, Goku," Krillin answered reassuringly, "She's doing great. Actually, she's been up and about for two days now."

Goku smiled. "Well, that's good to hear," he said.

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar voice interrupted, "It's time. Who is the first to challenge me?"

Goku turned his attention towards Cell his eyes narrowed in a dead-serious glare. Sparks seemed to fly as tensions mounted. "I will," Goku declared.

Trunks looked at Goku apprehensively. "Goku, are you sure we should start with you first?" he asked.

Even Cell seemed surprised. "… You do know that once there are no more challengers left on this pathetic planet, everyone on Earth will die." He said it more like a statement than a question.

Goku nodded, unwavering. "Yeah, I know." He glanced at Vegeta. "… That is, if it's all right with you."

Vegeta only scoffed once again. "Do as you please, but _I_ will be the one to finish him off," he retorted, still convinced that he was stronger than his fellow Saiyan.

Goku shrugged. "Okay," he replied simply. He then stepped onto the tiled white platform.

"It's time to end this, Cell," Goku said sullenly, putting up a fighting stance.

Cell grinned. "I couldn't agree more," he agreed, falling into a stance of his own. "And this time, there's no running away…"

* * *

Chi-Chi glanced at the analog clock that hung on the wall. "It's ten past noon," she said to no one in particular. "The Cell Game is all ready underway. I wonder how Goku is doing…" She couldn't help but feel a pang of worry creep back into her thoughts again.

"Lighten up, Chi-Chi," Bulma consoled, though Chi-Chi sensed a twinge of anxiety in her voice, too. "Everything will be fine. Goku and the others are going to win this, and Cell will finally be defeated for good."

Chi-Chi hesitated. "… Your grown-up son is participating in the tournament as well, isn't he?" she asked softly after a moment.

Bulma remained silent for a long time, and then she forced a feeble smile. "We don't have time to worry about that right now, 'kay?"

Chi-Chi forced a nod. _I wish there was some way we could know what was going on… I can't take the suspense much longer!_

She glanced out the window as if expecting to see the battle before her. Just two days ago, she had felt so calm and carefree. She'd believed in Goku and hung onto his word that he'd be all right. But now with the arrival of the Cell Game, she wasn't so sure anymore. _Cell has to abide the rules of the tournament himself,_ Chi-Chi told herself repeatedly. _And that means killing is strictly prohibited._ Nevertheless, the thought did little to quell her trepidation, because the more she dwelled on it, the less she believed in it. Knowing Cell, it would be no surprise if he broke his own rules. _Oh, Goku. Please don't die. You've gotta live. You've gotta come back to me…_

**A/N: **And that's it, folks! I'm sorry, but don't expect me to return to this fic anymore, because I'm not going to!


End file.
